diff --git a/.changelog/10091.txt b/.changelog/10091.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fab96dee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/10091.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+cli: snapshot inspect command would panic on invalid input.
+```
diff --git a/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect.go b/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect.go
index a3b876426..5d9baacaa 100644
--- a/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect.go
+++ b/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect.go
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ func (c *cmd) Run(args []string) int {
 		readFile, meta, err = snapshot.Read(hclog.New(nil), f)
 		if err != nil {
 			c.UI.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error reading snapshot: %s", err))
+			return 1
 		}
 		defer func() {
 			if err := readFile.Close(); err != nil {
diff --git a/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect_test.go b/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect_test.go
index a9a7992dd..9d4add371 100644
--- a/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect_test.go
+++ b/command/snapshot/inspect/snapshot_inspect_test.go
@@ -153,10 +153,8 @@ func TestSnapshotInspectKVDetailsDepthFilterCommand(t *testing.T) {
 // TestSnapshotInspectCommandRaw test reading a snaphost directly from a raft
 // data dir.
 func TestSnapshotInspectCommandRaw(t *testing.T) {
-
 	filepath := "./testdata/raw/state.bin"
 
-	// Inspect the snapshot
 	ui := cli.NewMockUi()
 	c := New(ui)
 	args := []string{filepath}
@@ -169,3 +167,20 @@ func TestSnapshotInspectCommandRaw(t *testing.T) {
 	want := golden(t, t.Name(), ui.OutputWriter.String())
 	require.Equal(t, want, ui.OutputWriter.String())
 }
+
+func TestSnapshotInspectInvalidFile(t *testing.T) {
+	// Attempt to open a non-snapshot file.
+	filepath := "./testdata/TestSnapshotInspectCommand.golden"
+
+	// Inspect the snapshot
+	ui := cli.NewMockUi()
+	c := New(ui)
+	args := []string{filepath}
+
+	code := c.Run(args)
+	// Just check it was an error code returned and not a panic - originally this
+	// would panic.
+	if code == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("should return an error code")
+	}
+}