diff --git a/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/resource/addref/GitRepo.java b/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/resource/addref/GitRepo.java
index 157e20ee5..66383e53d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/resource/addref/GitRepo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/resource/addref/GitRepo.java
@@ -4,9 +4,15 @@
 import bio.terra.cli.command.shared.options.Format;
 import bio.terra.cli.command.shared.options.ReferencedResourceCreation;
 import bio.terra.cli.command.shared.options.WorkspaceOverride;
+import bio.terra.cli.exception.SystemException;
+import bio.terra.cli.exception.UserActionableException;
 import bio.terra.cli.serialization.userfacing.input.AddGitRepoParams;
 import bio.terra.cli.serialization.userfacing.input.CreateResourceParams;
 import bio.terra.cli.serialization.userfacing.resource.UFGitRepo;
+import bio.terra.cli.service.ExternalCredentialsManagerService;
+import bio.terra.externalcreds.model.SshKeyPairType;
+import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
+import org.springframework.web.client.HttpStatusCodeException;
 import picocli.CommandLine;
 
 /** This class corresponds to the fourth-level "terra resource add-ref git-repo" command. */
@@ -46,5 +52,17 @@ protected void execute() {
     bio.terra.cli.businessobject.resource.GitRepo addedResource =
         bio.terra.cli.businessobject.resource.GitRepo.addReferenced(createParams.build());
     formatOption.printReturnValue(new UFGitRepo(addedResource), GitRepo::printText);
+    ExternalCredentialsManagerService ecmService = ExternalCredentialsManagerService.fromContext();
+    try {
+      ecmService.getSshKeyPair(SshKeyPairType.GITHUB);
+    } catch (SystemException e) {
+      if (e.getCause() instanceof HttpStatusCodeException
+          && ((HttpStatusCodeException) e.getCause()).getStatusCode() == HttpStatus.NOT_FOUND) {
+        throw new UserActionableException(
+            "You do not have a Terra ssh key, cloning the git repo in the GCP notebook will"
+                + " fail. Please run `terra user ssh-key generate` and store the output (public key) in"
+                + " your GitHub account https://github.com/settings/keys.");
+      }
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/user/sshkey/Generate.java b/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/user/sshkey/Generate.java
index dddcac6a3..ab107fe3f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/user/sshkey/Generate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/bio/terra/cli/command/user/sshkey/Generate.java
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ protected void execute() {
     confirmationPrompt.confirmOrThrow(
         "Generating a new Terra SSH key will replace the old Terra SSH key if it exists. "
             + "You must associate the new SSH public key with your GitHub account using "
-            + "https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh/generating-a-new-ssh-key-and-adding-it-to-the-ssh-agent#adding-your-ssh-key-to-the-ssh-agent. "
-            + "Are you sure you want to proceed (y/N)?",
+            + "https://github.com/settings/keys. Are you sure you want to proceed (y/N)?",
         "Generating new SSH key is aborted");
     var ecmService = ExternalCredentialsManagerService.fromContext();
     var sshKeyPair = ecmService.generateSshKeyPair(SshKeyPairType.GITHUB);
diff --git a/src/test/java/unit/GitRepoReferenced.java b/src/test/java/unit/GitRepoReferenced.java
index 4d4a61f37..77755a765 100644
--- a/src/test/java/unit/GitRepoReferenced.java
+++ b/src/test/java/unit/GitRepoReferenced.java
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ static List<UFGitRepo> listGitRepoResourcesWithName(String resourceName)
   void listDescribeReflectAdd() throws IOException {
     workspaceCreator.login();
 
+    // Generate ssh key to avoid prompt about ssh key
+    TestCommand.runCommandExpectSuccess("user", "ssh-key", "generate", "--quiet");
+
     // `terra workspace set --id=$id`
     TestCommand.runCommandExpectSuccess("workspace", "set", "--id=" + getUserFacingId());
 
@@ -103,13 +106,8 @@ void resolve() throws IOException {
 
     // `terra resource add-ref git-repo --name=$name --repo-url=$repoUrl
     String name = "resolve";
-    TestCommand.runAndParseCommandExpectSuccess(
-        UFGitRepo.class,
-        "resource",
-        "add-ref",
-        "git-repo",
-        "--name=" + name,
-        "--repo-url=" + GIT_REPO_SSH_URL);
+    TestCommand.runCommandExpectSuccess(
+        "resource", "add-ref", "git-repo", "--name=" + name, "--repo-url=" + GIT_REPO_SSH_URL);
 
     // `terra resource resolve --name=$name --format=json`
     JSONObject resolved =
@@ -130,13 +128,8 @@ void listReflectsDelete() throws IOException {
 
     // `terra resource add-ref git-repo --name=$name --repo-url=$repoUrl
     String name = "listReflectsDelete";
-    TestCommand.runAndParseCommandExpectSuccess(
-        UFGitRepo.class,
-        "resource",
-        "add-ref",
-        "git-repo",
-        "--name=" + name,
-        "--repo-url=" + GIT_REPO_SSH_URL);
+    TestCommand.runCommandExpectSuccess(
+        "resource", "add-ref", "git-repo", "--name=" + name, "--repo-url=" + GIT_REPO_SSH_URL);
 
     // `terra resource delete --name=$name --format=json`
     TestCommand.runCommandExpectSuccess("resource", "delete", "--name=" + name, "--quiet");
@@ -206,8 +199,7 @@ void updateIndividualProperties() throws IOException {
     // `terra resource add-ref git-repo --name=$name --repo-url=$repoUrl --description=$description`
     String name = "updateIndividualProperties";
     String description = "updateDescription";
-    TestCommand.runAndParseCommandExpectSuccess(
-        UFGitRepo.class,
+    TestCommand.runCommandExpectSuccess(
         "resource",
         "add-ref",
         "git-repo",
@@ -286,8 +278,7 @@ void updateMultipleOrNoProperties() throws IOException {
     // --repo-url=$gitUrl
     String name = "updateMultipleOrNoProperties";
     String description = "updateDescription";
-    TestCommand.runAndParseCommandExpectSuccess(
-        UFGitRepo.class,
+    TestCommand.runCommandExpectSuccess(
         "resource",
         "add-ref",
         "git-repo",