diff --git a/server/common/app_config.py b/server/common/app_config.py
index df7a0f96..ae67eeaf 100644
--- a/server/common/app_config.py
+++ b/server/common/app_config.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import yaml
 from flatten_dict import flatten, unflatten
 
 import server.compute.diffexp_cxg as diffexp_tiledb
+import server.compute.scanpy
 from server import display_version as cellxgene_display_version
 from server.auth.auth import AuthTypeFactory
 from server.common.annotations.hosted_tiledb import AnnotationsHostedTileDB
@@ -898,16 +899,21 @@ class DatasetConfig(BaseConfig):
         self.check_attr("embeddings__enable_reembedding", bool)
 
         server_config = self.app_config.server_config
-        if server_config.single_dataset__datapath:
-            if self.embeddings__enable_reembedding:
+        if self.embeddings__enable_reembedding:
+            if server_config.single_dataset__datapath:
                 matrix_data_loader = MatrixDataLoader(
                     server_config.single_dataset__datapath, app_config=self.app_config
                 )
                 if matrix_data_loader.matrix_data_type != MatrixDataType.H5AD:
-                    raise ConfigurationError("'enable-reembedding is only supported with H5AD files.")
+                    raise ConfigurationError("enable-reembedding is only supported with H5AD files.")
                 if server_config.adaptor__anndata_adaptor__backed:
                     raise ConfigurationError("enable-reembedding is not supported when run in --backed mode.")
 
+            try:
+                server.compute.scanpy.get_scanpy_module()
+            except NotImplementedError:
+                raise ConfigurationError("Please install scanpy to enable UMAP re-embedding")
+
     def handle_diffexp(self, context):
         self.check_attr("diffexp__enable", bool)
         self.check_attr("diffexp__lfc_cutoff", float)