diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 93fa945..b9560e3 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -32,13 +32,12 @@ Language: en-GB
 Roxygen: list(markdown = TRUE)
 RoxygenNote: 7.3.1
 Imports: 
-    rlang,
     targets,
-    terra
+    rlang,
+    cli
 Suggests: 
+    terra,
     testthat (>= 3.0.0)
-Depends:
-    R (>= 4.1.0)
 Config/testthat/edition: 3
 URL: https://github.com/njtierney/geotargets
 BugReports: https://github.com/njtierney/geotargets/issues
diff --git a/R/tar-terra-rast.R b/R/tar-terra-rast.R
index 99a0191..ffd01b1 100644
--- a/R/tar-terra-rast.R
+++ b/R/tar-terra-rast.R
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ tar_terra_rast <- function(name,
                            retrieval = targets::tar_option_get("retrieval"),
                            cue = targets::tar_option_get("cue")) {
 
+    check_pkg_installed("terra")
+
     name <- targets::tar_deparse_language(substitute(name))
 
     envir <- targets::tar_option_get("envir")
@@ -65,8 +67,12 @@ tar_terra_rast <- function(name,
         tidy_eval = tidy_eval
     )
 
+    drv <- get_gdal_available_driver_list("raster")
+
     # if not specified by user, pull the corresponding geotargets option
     filetype <- filetype %||% geotargets_option_get("gdal.raster.driver")
+    filetype <- rlang::arg_match0(filetype, drv$name)
+
     gdal <- gdal %||% geotargets_option_get("gdal.raster.creation_options")
 
     targets::tar_target_raw(
@@ -96,13 +102,9 @@ tar_terra_rast <- function(name,
 #' @noRd
 create_format_terra_raster <- function(filetype, gdal, ...) {
 
-    if (!requireNamespace("terra")) {
-        stop("package 'terra' is required", call. = FALSE)
-    }
+    check_pkg_installed("terra")
 
-    # get list of drivers available for writing depending on what the user's GDAL supports
-    drv <- terra::gdal(drivers = TRUE)
-    drv <- drv[drv$type == "raster" & grepl("write", drv$can), ]
+    drv <- get_gdal_available_driver_list("raster")
 
     filetype <- filetype %||% geotargets_option_get("gdal.raster.driver")
     filetype <- rlang::arg_match0(filetype, drv$name)
diff --git a/R/tar-terra-vect.R b/R/tar-terra-vect.R
index 6efbe3e..b3441c7 100644
--- a/R/tar-terra-vect.R
+++ b/R/tar-terra-vect.R
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ tar_terra_vect <- function(name,
                            storage = targets::tar_option_get("storage"),
                            retrieval = targets::tar_option_get("retrieval"),
                            cue = targets::tar_option_get("cue")) {
+
+    check_pkg_installed("terra")
+
     name <- targets::tar_deparse_language(substitute(name))
 
     envir <- targets::tar_option_get("envir")
@@ -72,8 +75,12 @@ tar_terra_vect <- function(name,
         tidy_eval = tidy_eval
     )
 
+    drv <- get_gdal_available_driver_list("vector")
+
     # if not specified by user, pull the corresponding geotargets option
     filetype <- filetype %||% geotargets_option_get("gdal.vector.driver")
+    filetype <- rlang::arg_match0(filetype, drv$name)
+
     gdal <- gdal %||% geotargets_option_get("gdal.vector.creation_options")
 
     format <- ifelse(
@@ -113,13 +120,9 @@ tar_terra_vect <- function(name,
 #' @noRd
 create_format_terra_vect <- function(filetype, options, ...) {
 
-    if (!requireNamespace("terra")) {
-        stop("package 'terra' is required", call. = FALSE)
-    }
+    check_pkg_installed("terra")
 
-    # get list of drivers available for writing depending on what the user's GDAL supports
-    drv <- terra::gdal(drivers = TRUE)
-    drv <- drv[drv$type == "vector" & grepl("write", drv$can), ]
+    drv <- get_gdal_available_driver_list("vector")
 
     if (is.null(filetype)) {
         filetype <- "GeoJSON"
@@ -152,9 +155,7 @@ create_format_terra_vect <- function(filetype, options, ...) {
 #' @noRd
 create_format_terra_vect_shz <- function(options, ...) {
 
-    if (!requireNamespace("terra")) {
-        stop("package 'terra' is required", call. = FALSE)
-    }
+    check_pkg_installed("terra")
 
     .write_terra_vector <- eval(substitute(function(object, path) {
         terra::writeVector(
diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index c1dd32b..9d21a94 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -4,3 +4,19 @@ geotargets_repair_option_name <- function(option_name) {
     option_name <- paste0("geotargets.", option_name)
   }
 }
+
+check_pkg_installed <- function(pkg, call = rlang::caller_env()) {
+  if (!requireNamespace(pkg, quietly = TRUE)) {
+    cli::cli_abort(
+        message = "package {.pkg {pkg}} is required",
+        call = call
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+get_gdal_available_driver_list <- function(driver_type){
+    # get list of drivers available for writing depending on what the user's GDAL supports
+    drv <- terra::gdal(drivers = TRUE)
+    drv <- drv[drv$type == driver_type & grepl("write", drv$can), ]
+    drv
+}