diff --git a/.config/zsh/.zshrc b/.config/zsh/.zshrc
index d70c801..1f44358 100644
--- a/.config/zsh/.zshrc
+++ b/.config/zsh/.zshrc
@@ -122,7 +122,8 @@ fi
 [[ ${COLORTERM} == *(truecolor|24bit)* ]] || zmodload zsh/nearcolor
 
 # emacsclient 27 (TODO: check later versions) needs this for TrueColor
-if [[ ${TERM#*-} == "256color" ]] \
+if type emacsclient >& - \
+       && [[ ${TERM#*-} == "256color" ]] \
        && [[ ${COLORTERM} == *(truecolor|24bit)* ]] \
        && [[ -f "/usr/share/terminfo/${TERM[1]}/${TERM%-*}-direct" ]]; then
     alias $(command -v emacsclient)="TERM=${TERM%-*}-direct $(command -v emacsclient)"