diff --git a/cmd/microcloud/ask.go b/cmd/microcloud/ask.go
index e38339251..196678d54 100644
--- a/cmd/microcloud/ask.go
+++ b/cmd/microcloud/ask.go
@@ -1042,47 +1042,51 @@ func (c *initConfig) askOVNNetwork(sh *service.Handler) error {
 				return nil
 			}
 
-			msg := fmt.Sprintf("Specify the %s gateway (CIDR) on the uplink network (empty to skip %s)", ip, ip)
+			msg := fmt.Sprintf("Specify the %s gateway (CIDR) on the uplink network", ip)
 			gateway, err := c.asker.AskString(msg, "", validator)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			if gateway != "" {
-				if ip == "IPv4" {
-					rangeStart, err := c.asker.AskString(fmt.Sprintf("Specify the first %s address in the range to use on the uplink network", ip), "", validate.Required(validate.IsNetworkAddressV4))
-					if err != nil {
-						return err
-					}
-
-					rangeEnd, err := c.asker.AskString(fmt.Sprintf("Specify the last %s address in the range to use on the uplink network", ip), "", validate.Required(validate.IsNetworkAddressV4))
-					if err != nil {
-						return err
-					}
+			if gateway == "" {
+				continue
+			}
 
-					ipConfig[gateway] = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", rangeStart, rangeEnd)
-				} else {
-					ipConfig[gateway] = ""
+			if ip == "IPv4" {
+				rangeStart, err := c.asker.AskString(fmt.Sprintf("Specify the first %s address in the range to use on the uplink network", ip), "", validate.Required(validate.IsNetworkAddressV4))
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
 				}
-			}
-		}
 
-		if len(ipConfig) > 0 {
-			gateways := []string{}
-			for gateway := range ipConfig {
-				gatewayAddr, _, err := net.ParseCIDR(gateway)
+				rangeEnd, err := c.asker.AskString(fmt.Sprintf("Specify the last %s address in the range to use on the uplink network", ip), "", validate.Required(validate.IsNetworkAddressV4))
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 
-				gateways = append(gateways, gatewayAddr.String())
+				ipConfig[gateway] = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", rangeStart, rangeEnd)
+			} else {
+				ipConfig[gateway] = ""
 			}
+		}
+
+		if len(ipConfig) == 0 {
+			return errors.New("Either the IPv4 or IPv6 gateway has to be set on the uplink network")
+		}
 
-			gatewayAddrs := strings.Join(gateways, ",")
-			dnsAddresses, err = c.asker.AskString("Specify the DNS addresses (comma-separated IPv4 / IPv6 addresses) for the distributed network", gatewayAddrs, validate.Optional(validate.IsListOf(validate.IsNetworkAddress)))
+		gateways := []string{}
+		for gateway := range ipConfig {
+			gatewayAddr, _, err := net.ParseCIDR(gateway)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+
+			gateways = append(gateways, gatewayAddr.String())
+		}
+
+		gatewayAddrs := strings.Join(gateways, ",")
+		dnsAddresses, err = c.asker.AskString("Specify the DNS addresses (comma-separated IPv4 / IPv6 addresses) for the distributed network", gatewayAddrs, validate.Optional(validate.IsListOf(validate.IsNetworkAddress)))
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/microcloud/preseed.go b/cmd/microcloud/preseed.go
index 253e1137c..6e8837668 100644
--- a/cmd/microcloud/preseed.go
+++ b/cmd/microcloud/preseed.go
@@ -366,6 +366,10 @@ func (p *Preseed) validate(name string, bootstrap bool) error {
 
 		if system.UplinkInterface != "" {
 			uplinkCount++
+
+			if p.OVN.IPv4Gateway == "" && p.OVN.IPv6Gateway == "" && bootstrap {
+				return errors.New("Either the IPv4 or IPv6 gateway has to be set on the uplink network")
+			}
 		}
 
 		if system.UnderlayIP != "" {
diff --git a/cmd/tui/handler.go b/cmd/tui/handler.go
index 01df497c3..8bcf27838 100644
--- a/cmd/tui/handler.go
+++ b/cmd/tui/handler.go
@@ -15,7 +15,15 @@ import (
 var ContextError error = tea.ErrProgramKilled
 
 // InvalidInputError is used to indicate false input to an asked question.
-var InvalidInputError func() = func() { PrintError("Invalid input, try again") }
+var InvalidInputError func(err error) = func(err error) {
+	errorMsg := "Invalid input, try again"
+
+	if err != nil {
+		PrintError(fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s", errorMsg, err.Error()))
+	} else {
+		PrintError(errorMsg)
+	}
+}
 
 // InputHandler handles input dialogs.
 type InputHandler struct {
@@ -121,7 +129,7 @@ func (i *InputHandler) AskBool(question string, defaultAnswer bool) (bool, error
 			return false, nil
 		}
 
-		InvalidInputError()
+		InvalidInputError(nil)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -145,7 +153,7 @@ func (i *InputHandler) AskString(question string, defaultAnswer string, validato
 		if validator != nil {
 			err = validator(answer)
 			if err != nil {
-				InvalidInputError()
+				InvalidInputError(err)
 				continue
 			}
 
@@ -156,6 +164,6 @@ func (i *InputHandler) AskString(question string, defaultAnswer string, validato
 			return answer, err
 		}
 
-		InvalidInputError()
+		InvalidInputError(nil)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/suites/instances.sh b/test/suites/instances.sh
index 2b71b0586..547a19689 100644
--- a/test/suites/instances.sh
+++ b/test/suites/instances.sh
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ systems:
     local:
       path: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-0QEMU_QEMU_HARDDISK_lxd_disk1
       wipe: true
+ovn:
+  ipv4_gateway: 10.1.123.1/24
+  ipv4_range: 10.1.123.100-10.1.123.254
+  ipv6_gateway: fd42:1:1234:1234::1/64
 EOF
   )"