diff --git a/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkManager.java b/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkManager.java
index 0abf4c3e31..628346b748 100644
--- a/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkManager.java
+++ b/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkManager.java
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ public void initialize(boolean shouldManage) {
             return;
         }
 
+        if (!NetworkUtils.nmcliIsInstalled()) {
+            logger.error("Cannot manage network without nmcli!");
+            this.networkingIsDisabled = true;
+            return;
+        }
+
         // Start tasks to monitor the network interface(s)
         var ethernetDevices = NetworkUtils.getAllWiredInterfaces();
         for (NMDeviceInfo deviceInfo : ethernetDevices) {
diff --git a/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkUtils.java b/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkUtils.java
index a26195eaf4..f259317e8f 100644
--- a/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkUtils.java
+++ b/photon-core/src/main/java/org/photonvision/common/networking/NetworkUtils.java
@@ -66,6 +66,18 @@ public NMDeviceInfo(String c, String d, String type) {
         }
     }
 
+    public static boolean nmcliIsInstalled() {
+        var shell = new ShellExec(true, false);
+        try {
+            shell.executeBashCommand("nmcli --version");
+
+            return shell.getExitCode() == 0;
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            logger.error("Could not query nmcli version", e);
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
     private static List<NMDeviceInfo> allInterfaces = new ArrayList<>();
     private static long lastReadTimestamp = 0;