diff --git a/packages/angular/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts b/packages/angular/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts
index a13d8ea44a1c7..940204006de42 100644
--- a/packages/angular/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   ProjectGraph,
   readProjectConfiguration,
   Tree,
+  updateProjectConfiguration,
 } from '@nrwl/devkit';
 import { createTreeWithEmptyWorkspace } from '@nrwl/devkit/testing';
 import { applicationGenerator } from '../application/application';
@@ -158,21 +159,60 @@ describe('Cypress Component Testing Configuration', () => {
       });
     });
 
-    it('should throw if --build-target is invalid', async () => {
+    it('should throw with invalid --build-target', async () => {
+      await applicationGenerator(tree, {
+        name: 'fancy-app',
+      });
       await libraryGenerator(tree, {
         name: 'fancy-lib',
       });
-      await expect(
-        cypressComponentConfiguration(tree, {
+      await componentGenerator(tree, {
+        name: 'fancy-cmp',
+        project: 'fancy-lib',
+        export: true,
+      });
+      const appConfig = readProjectConfiguration(tree, 'fancy-app');
+      appConfig.targets['build'].executor = 'something/else';
+      updateProjectConfiguration(tree, 'fancy-app', appConfig);
+      projectGraph = {
+        nodes: {
+          'fancy-app': {
+            name: 'fancy-app',
+            type: 'app',
+            data: {
+              ...appConfig,
+            },
+          },
+          'fancy-lib': {
+            name: 'fancy-lib',
+            type: 'lib',
+            data: {
+              ...readProjectConfiguration(tree, 'fancy-lib'),
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        dependencies: {
+          'fancy-app': [
+            {
+              type: DependencyType.static,
+              source: 'fancy-app',
+              target: 'fancy-lib',
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      };
+      await expect(async () => {
+        await cypressComponentConfiguration(tree, {
           project: 'fancy-lib',
-          buildTarget: 'fancy-app:build:development',
+          buildTarget: 'fancy-app:build',
           generateTests: false,
-        })
-      ).rejects
-        .toThrow(`Error trying to find build configuration. Try manually specifying the build target with the --build-target flag.
-Provided project? fancy-lib
-Provided build target? fancy-app:build:development
-Provided Executors? @nrwl/angular:webpack-browser, @angular-devkit/build-angular:browser`);
+        });
+      }).rejects.toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(`
+        "Error trying to find build configuration. Try manually specifying the build target with the --build-target flag.
+        Provided project? fancy-lib
+        Provided build target? fancy-app:build
+        Provided Executors? @nrwl/angular:webpack-browser, @angular-devkit/build-angular:browser"
+      `);
     });
     it('should use own project config', async () => {
       await applicationGenerator(tree, {
@@ -273,6 +313,7 @@ Provided Executors? @nrwl/angular:webpack-browser, @angular-devkit/build-angular
     });
   });
 
+  it('should throw if an invalid --build-target', async () => {});
   it('should work with simple components', async () => {
     await libraryGenerator(tree, {
       name: 'my-lib',
diff --git a/packages/cypress/src/utils/find-target-options.ts b/packages/cypress/src/utils/find-target-options.ts
index 6238037d83f81..7b0ddb72608fe 100644
--- a/packages/cypress/src/utils/find-target-options.ts
+++ b/packages/cypress/src/utils/find-target-options.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ export async function findBuildConfig(
     // attempt to find any projects with the valid config in the graph that consumes this project
     return await findInGraph(tree, graph, options);
   } catch (e) {
+    logger.error(e);
     throw new Error(stripIndents`Error trying to find build configuration. Try manually specifying the build target with the --build-target flag.
     Provided project? ${options.project}
     Provided build target? ${options.buildTarget}
@@ -74,6 +75,27 @@ function findInTarget(
     options.buildTarget
   );
   const projectConfig = readProjectConfiguration(tree, project);
+  const executorName = projectConfig?.targets?.[target]?.executor;
+  if (!options.validExecutorNames.has(executorName)) {
+    logger.error(stripIndents`NX The provided build target, ${
+      options.buildTarget
+    }, uses the '${executorName}' executor.
+But only the follow executors are allowed
+${Array.from(options.validExecutorNames)
+  .map((ve) => ` - ${ve}`)
+  .join('\n')}
+
+This is most likely because the provided --build-target is not a build target for an application.
+For example, the provide build target, '${options.buildTarget}' is:
+ - the build target for a buildable/publishable library instead of an app.
+ - using a different framework than expected like react library using an angular app build target.
+
+If you do not have an app in the workspace to you can make a new app with 'nx g app' and use it just for component testing
+`);
+    throw new Error(
+      'The provided --build-target does not use an executor in the allow list of executors defined.'
+    );
+  }
   const foundConfig =
     configuration || projectConfig?.targets?.[target]?.defaultConfiguration;
 
diff --git a/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts b/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts
index bb9feb126df1b..b788de479dc71 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/cypress-component-configuration.spec.ts
@@ -4,9 +4,14 @@ import {
   ProjectGraph,
   readJson,
   readProjectConfiguration,
+  readTargetOptions,
   Tree,
+  updateProjectConfiguration,
 } from '@nrwl/devkit';
-import { createTreeWithEmptyV1Workspace } from '@nrwl/devkit/testing';
+import {
+  createTreeWithEmptyV1Workspace,
+  createTreeWithEmptyWorkspace,
+} from '@nrwl/devkit/testing';
 import { Linter } from '@nrwl/linter';
 import { applicationGenerator } from '../application/application';
 import { componentGenerator } from '../component/component';
@@ -16,6 +21,7 @@ import { cypressComponentConfigGenerator } from './cypress-component-configurati
 let projectGraph: ProjectGraph;
 jest.mock('@nrwl/devkit', () => ({
   ...jest.requireActual<any>('@nrwl/devkit'),
+  readTargetOptions: jest.fn().mockImplementation(() => ({})),
   createProjectGraphAsync: jest
     .fn()
     .mockImplementation(async () => projectGraph),
@@ -27,7 +33,7 @@ describe('React:CypressComponentTestConfiguration', () => {
     ReturnType<typeof assertMinimumCypressVersion>
   > = assertMinimumCypressVersion as never;
   beforeEach(() => {
-    tree = createTreeWithEmptyV1Workspace();
+    tree = createTreeWithEmptyWorkspace();
   });
   it('should generate cypress component test config with --build-target', async () => {
     mockedAssertCypressVersion.mockReturnValue();
@@ -271,4 +277,57 @@ describe('React:CypressComponentTestConfiguration', () => {
       tree.exists('libs/some-lib/src/lib/another-cmp/another-cmp.spec.cy.js')
     ).toBeFalsy();
   });
+  it('should throw error when an invalid --build-target is provided', async () => {
+    mockedAssertCypressVersion.mockReturnValue();
+    await applicationGenerator(tree, {
+      e2eTestRunner: 'none',
+      linter: Linter.EsLint,
+      skipFormat: true,
+      style: 'scss',
+      unitTestRunner: 'none',
+      name: 'my-app',
+    });
+    await libraryGenerator(tree, {
+      name: 'some-lib',
+      style: 'scss',
+      unitTestRunner: 'none',
+      linter: Linter.None,
+      skipFormat: false,
+      skipTsConfig: false,
+    });
+    const appConfig = readProjectConfiguration(tree, 'my-app');
+    appConfig.targets['build'].executor = 'something/else';
+    updateProjectConfiguration(tree, 'my-app', appConfig);
+    projectGraph = {
+      nodes: {
+        'my-app': {
+          name: 'my-app',
+          type: 'app',
+          data: {
+            ...appConfig,
+          },
+        },
+        'some-lib': {
+          name: 'some-lib',
+          type: 'lib',
+          data: {
+            ...readProjectConfiguration(tree, 'some-lib'),
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      dependencies: {},
+    };
+    await expect(async () => {
+      await cypressComponentConfigGenerator(tree, {
+        project: 'some-lib',
+        generateTests: true,
+        buildTarget: 'my-app:build',
+      });
+    }).rejects.toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(`
+      "Error trying to find build configuration. Try manually specifying the build target with the --build-target flag.
+      Provided project? some-lib
+      Provided build target? my-app:build
+      Provided Executors? @nrwl/webpack:webpack"
+    `);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/lib/update-configs.ts b/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/lib/update-configs.ts
index f1484aec62341..577158b4eff5d 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/lib/update-configs.ts
+++ b/packages/react/src/generators/cypress-component-configuration/lib/update-configs.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export async function updateProjectConfig(
     validExecutorNames: new Set<string>(['@nrwl/webpack:webpack']),
   });
 
-  assetValidConfig(found.config);
+  assetValidConfig(found?.config);
 
   const projectConfig = readProjectConfiguration(tree, options.project);
   projectConfig.targets['component-test'].options = {