diff --git a/R/csv.R b/R/csv.R
index 5fce18f4..d53dd037 100644
--- a/R/csv.R
+++ b/R/csv.R
@@ -138,7 +138,16 @@ read_cmdstan_csv <- function(files,
     files <- file.path(temp_storage, basename(files))
   }
   format <- assert_valid_draws_format(format)
-  assert_file_exists(files, access = "r", extension = "csv")
+  csv_file_exists <- check_file_exists(files, access = "r", extension = "csv")
+  if (!isTRUE(csv_file_exists)) {
+    if (isTRUE(getOption("knitr.in.progress")) &&
+          is.null(getOption("cmdstanr_output_dir")) &&
+          any(grepl("csv$", files))) {
+      stop(paste0(csv_file_exists, "\n  If this error happened when using Quarto cache,\n  see `cmdstanr_output_dir` in `?cmdstanr_global_options`"))
+    } else {
+        stop(csv_file_exists)
+    }
+  }
   metadata <- NULL
   warmup_draws <- list()
   draws <- list()
diff --git a/R/options.R b/R/options.R
index 9e526ca7..85691bdc 100644
--- a/R/options.R
+++ b/R/options.R
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@
 #' * `cmdstanr_output_dir`: The directory where CmdStan should write its output
 #' CSV files when fitting models. The default is a temporary directory. Files in
 #' a temporary directory are removed as part of \R garbage collection, while
-#' files in an explicitly defined directory are not automatically deleted.
+#' files in an explicitly defined directory are not automatically deleted. Note
+#' that Rmarkdown / Quarto cache does not store files in temporary directory,
+#' and re-rendering with cache fails if explicit directory has not been defined.
 #'
 #' * `cmdstanr_verbose`: Should more information be printed
 #' when compiling or running models, including showing how CmdStan was called
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-csv.R b/tests/testthat/test-csv.R
index 0922c0f0..19c1dd34 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-csv.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-csv.R
@@ -73,11 +73,17 @@ test_that("read_cmdstan_csv() fails for different variables", {
 test_that("read_cmdstan_csv() fails if the file does not exist", {
   csv_files <- c(test_path("resources", "csv", "model1-1-doesntexist.csv"))
   expect_error(read_cmdstan_csv(csv_files),
-               "Assertion on 'files' failed: File does not exist: 'resources/csv/model1-1-doesntexist.csv'.")
+               "File does not exist: 'resources/csv/model1-1-doesntexist.csv'")
   expect_error(read_cmdstan_csv(NULL),
-               "Assertion on 'files' failed: No file provided.")
+               "No file provided")
   expect_error(read_cmdstan_csv(character(0)),
-               "Assertion on 'files' failed: No file provided.")
+               "No file provided")
+  # if knitr rendering and using temp directory, there is an additional message
+  old_opt <- options(knitr.in.progress = TRUE, cmdstanr_output_dir = NULL)
+  expect_error(read_cmdstan_csv(csv_files),
+               "File does not exist: 'resources/csv/model1-1-doesntexist.csv'\n  If this error happened when using Quarto cache,\n  see `cmdstanr_output_dir` in `?cmdstanr_global_options`",
+               fixed = TRUE)
+  options(old_opt)
 })
 
 test_that("read_cmdstan_csv() fails with empty csv file", {