diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/install/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/install/app.py
index 053f1b8f5a..98bc8dc98c 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/install/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/install/app.py
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ def install(self, argv):
             self.lookupTargetArchitecture()
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details</Red>"))
+            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details</Red>"))
             exit(1)
 
         # Perform a check whether the cluster is set up for airgap install, this will trigger an early failure if the cluster is using the now
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/upgrade/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/upgrade/app.py
index 8f732ef4a2..67f0902c0b 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/upgrade/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/aiservice/upgrade/app.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def upgrade(self, argv):
             self.lookupTargetArchitecture()
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details</Red>"))
+            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details</Red>"))
             sys.exit(1)
 
         if aiserviceInstanceId is None:
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/backup/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/backup/app.py
index 58405ff784..1bb9527574 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/backup/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/backup/app.py
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def backup(self, argv):
             self.connect()
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            self.fatalError("The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details")
+            self.fatalError("Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details")
 
         # Perform a check whether the cluster is set up for airgap install
         self.isAirgap()
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/cli.py b/python/src/mas/cli/cli.py
index abc08ce61d..bc01afe372 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/cli.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/cli.py
@@ -413,10 +413,12 @@ def lookupTargetArchitecture(self, architecture: str | None = None) -> None:
         if architecture is not None:
             self.architecture = architecture
             logger.debug(f"Target architecture (overridden): {self.architecture}")
-        else:
+        elif self.dynamicClient is not None:
             nodes = getNodes(self.dynamicClient)
             self.architecture = nodes[0]["status"]["nodeInfo"]["architecture"]
             logger.debug(f"Target architecture: {self.architecture}")
+        else:
+            return
 
         if self.architecture not in ["amd64", "s390x", "ppc64le"]:
             self.fatalError(f"Unsupported worker node architecture: {self.architecture}")
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/install/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/install/app.py
index b7595d9b53..a3d3b95398 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/install/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/install/app.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
     JsonValidator,
     OptimizerInstallPlanValidator,
     BucketPrefixValidator,
+    NotEmptyValidator,
 )
 
 from mas.devops.ocp import (
@@ -1347,7 +1348,11 @@ def configApps(self):
     def configAppChannel(self, appId):
         versions = self.getCompatibleVersions(self.params["mas_channel"], appId)
         if len(versions) == 0:
-            self.params[f"mas_app_channel_{appId}"] = prompt(HTML(f"<Yellow>Custom channel for {appId}</Yellow>"))
+            self.promptForString(
+                f"Custom channel for {appId}",
+                f"mas_app_channel_{appId}",
+                validator=NotEmptyValidator(),
+            )
         else:
             self.params[f"mas_app_channel_{appId}"] = versions[0]
 
@@ -2502,7 +2507,7 @@ def install(self, argv):
             self.lookupTargetArchitecture()
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details</Red>"))
+            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details</Red>"))
             exit(1)
 
         # Perform a check whether the cluster is set up for airgap install, this will trigger an early failure if the cluster is using the now
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/restore/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/restore/app.py
index 2b98d8baf2..9c5c2cda70 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/restore/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/restore/app.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def restore(self, argv):
             self.connect()
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            self.fatalError("The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details")
+            self.fatalError("Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details")
 
         # Perform a check whether the cluster is set up for airgap install
         self.isAirgap()
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/uninstall/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/uninstall/app.py
index d8fa72564d..f183d2956f 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/uninstall/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/uninstall/app.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def uninstall(self, argv):
             logger.debug("MAS instance ID is set, so we assume already connected to the desired OCP")
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            self.fatalError("The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details")
+            self.fatalError("Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details")
 
         if instanceId is None:
             # Interactive mode
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/update/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/update/app.py
index 9bfe374fb8..d685d4035c 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/update/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/update/app.py
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def update(self, argv):
             self.connect()
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            self.fatalError("The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details")
+            self.fatalError("Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details")
 
         # Perform a check whether the cluster is set up for airgap install, this will trigger an early failure if the cluster is using the now
         # deprecated MaximoApplicationSuite ImageContentSourcePolicy instead of the new ImageDigestMirrorSet
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/upgrade/app.py b/python/src/mas/cli/upgrade/app.py
index 2a28f2fab2..d7dfd1ec9e 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/upgrade/app.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/upgrade/app.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def upgrade(self, argv):
             self.lookupTargetArchitecture()
 
         if self.dynamicClient is None:
-            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: The Kubernetes dynamic Client is not available.  See log file for details</Red>"))
+            print_formatted_text(HTML("<Red>Error: Not successfully connected to a Kubernetes cluster.  See log file for details</Red>"))
             sys.exit(1)
 
         if instanceId is None:
diff --git a/python/src/mas/cli/validators.py b/python/src/mas/cli/validators.py
index 55f2bc2e10..a051b40b97 100644
--- a/python/src/mas/cli/validators.py
+++ b/python/src/mas/cli/validators.py
@@ -232,3 +232,14 @@ def validate(self, document: Document) -> None:
 
         if not match(r"^.{1,4}$", bucketPrefix):
             raise ValidationError(message="Bucket prefix does not meet the requirement", cursor_position=len(bucketPrefix))
+
+
+class NotEmptyValidator(Validator):
+    def validate(self, document: Document) -> None:
+        """
+        Validate that the input value is not empty
+        """
+        value = document.text
+
+        if not match(r"^.+$", value):
+            raise ValidationError(message="Enter a value", cursor_position=0)