diff --git a/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.cxx b/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.cxx
index c8d69b8f73..dda366146e 100644
--- a/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.cxx
@@ -1431,8 +1431,11 @@ cmCMakePresetsFile::ReadProjectPresetsInternal(bool allowNoFiles)
     if (!it.second.Unexpanded.Hidden) {
       const auto configurePreset =
         this->ConfigurePresets.find(it.second.Unexpanded.ConfigurePreset);
-      if (it.second.Unexpanded.InheritConfigureEnvironment.value_or(true) &&
-          configurePreset != this->ConfigurePresets.end()) {
+      if (configurePreset == this->ConfigurePresets.end()) {
+        return ReadFileResult::INVALID_CONFIGURE_PRESET;
+      }
+
+      if (it.second.Unexpanded.InheritConfigureEnvironment.value_or(true)) {
         it.second.Unexpanded.Environment.insert(
           configurePreset->second.Unexpanded.Environment.begin(),
           configurePreset->second.Unexpanded.Environment.end());
@@ -1448,8 +1451,11 @@ cmCMakePresetsFile::ReadProjectPresetsInternal(bool allowNoFiles)
     if (!it.second.Unexpanded.Hidden) {
       const auto configurePreset =
         this->ConfigurePresets.find(it.second.Unexpanded.ConfigurePreset);
-      if (it.second.Unexpanded.InheritConfigureEnvironment.value_or(true) &&
-          configurePreset != this->ConfigurePresets.end()) {
+      if (configurePreset == this->ConfigurePresets.end()) {
+        return ReadFileResult::INVALID_CONFIGURE_PRESET;
+      }
+
+      if (it.second.Unexpanded.InheritConfigureEnvironment.value_or(true)) {
         it.second.Unexpanded.Environment.insert(
           configurePreset->second.Unexpanded.Environment.begin(),
           configurePreset->second.Unexpanded.Environment.end());
@@ -1502,6 +1508,8 @@ const char* cmCMakePresetsFile::ResultToString(ReadFileResult result)
     case ReadFileResult::BUILD_TEST_PRESETS_UNSUPPORTED:
       return "File version must be 2 or higher for build and test preset "
              "support.";
+    case ReadFileResult::INVALID_CONFIGURE_PRESET:
+      return "Invalid \"configurePreset\" field";
   }
 
   return "Unknown error";
diff --git a/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.h b/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.h
index e92c86b509..3067d5e075 100644
--- a/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.h
+++ b/Source/cmCMakePresetsFile.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public:
     USER_PRESET_INHERITANCE,
     INVALID_MACRO_EXPANSION,
     BUILD_TEST_PRESETS_UNSUPPORTED,
+    INVALID_CONFIGURE_PRESET,
   };
 
   enum class ArchToolsetStrategy