diff --git a/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py b/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
index 44387d897..2d029bf7b 100644
--- a/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
+++ b/src/pyinfra/operations/files.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 from jinja2 import TemplateRuntimeError, TemplateSyntaxError, UndefinedError
 
 from pyinfra import host, logger, state
-from pyinfra.api.output import format_text
 from pyinfra.api import (
     FileDownloadCommand,
     FileUploadCommand,
@@ -31,6 +30,7 @@
     operation,
 )
 from pyinfra.api.command import make_formatted_string_command
+from pyinfra.api.output import format_text
 from pyinfra.api.util import (
     get_call_location,
     get_file_io,
@@ -1484,10 +1484,19 @@ def move(src: str, dest: str, overwrite=False):
     """
 
     if host.get_fact(File, src) is None:
-        raise OperationError(f"src {src} does not exist")
-
-    if not host.get_fact(Directory, dest):
-        raise OperationError(f"dest {dest} is not an existing directory")
+        if state.is_executing:
+            raise OperationError(f"src {src} does not exist")
+        else:
+            logger.info(f"{host.print_prefix}src {src} does not exist yet")
+
+    dest_info = host.get_fact(Directory, dest)
+    if dest_info is False:
+        raise OperationError(f"dest {dest} is not a directory")
+    elif dest_info is None:
+        if state.is_executing:
+            raise OperationError(f"dest directory {dest} does not exist")
+        else:
+            logger.info(f"{host.print_prefix}dest directory {dest} does not exist yet")
 
     full_dest_path = posixpath.join(dest, PurePosixPath(src).name)
     if host.get_fact(File, full_dest_path) is not None:
@@ -1509,11 +1518,21 @@ def copy(src: str, dest: str, overwrite=False):
     + overwrite: whether to overwrite dest, if present
     """
     src_is_dir = host.get_fact(Directory, src)
-    if not host.get_fact(File, src) and not src_is_dir:
-        raise OperationError(f"src {src} does not exist")
-
-    if not host.get_fact(Directory, dest):
-        raise OperationError(f"dest {dest} is not an existing directory")
+    src_is_file = host.get_fact(File, src)
+    if not src_is_file and not src_is_dir:
+        if state.is_executing:
+            raise OperationError(f"src {src} does not exist")
+        else:
+            logger.info(f"{host.print_prefix}src {src} does not exist yet")
+
+    dest_info = host.get_fact(Directory, dest)
+    if dest_info is False:
+        raise OperationError(f"dest {dest} is not a directory")
+    elif dest_info is None:
+        if state.is_executing:
+            raise OperationError(f"dest directory {dest} does not exist")
+        else:
+            logger.info(f"{host.print_prefix}dest directory {dest} does not exist yet")
 
     dest_file_path = posixpath.join(dest, PurePosixPath(src).name)
     dest_file_exists = host.get_fact(File, dest_file_path)
@@ -2255,9 +2274,14 @@ def unarchive(
         yield FileUploadCommand(src, temp_archive)
         archive_path = temp_archive
     else:
-        # Validate the remote archive exists
-        if host.get_fact(File, path=src) is None:
-            raise OperationError(f"Remote archive {src} does not exist")
+        # Check if the remote archive exists
+        archive_info = host.get_fact(File, path=src)
+        if archive_info is False:
+            raise OperationError(f"Remote archive {src} is not a file")
+        elif archive_info is None:
+            if state.is_executing:
+                raise OperationError(f"Remote archive {src} does not exist")
+            logger.info(f"{host.print_prefix}Remote archive {src} does not exist")
         archive_path = src
 
     extras = list(extra_opts) if extra_opts else []
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_dest.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_dest.json
index 63399aeff..e76a6874f 100644
--- a/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_dest.json
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_dest.json
@@ -6,16 +6,15 @@
     },
     "facts": {
         "files.File": {
-            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
-            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": null
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true
         },
         "files.Directory": {
-            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": null,
-            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": false,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": false
         }
     },
     "exception": {
         "name": "OperationError",
-        "message": "dest /tmp/dest_dir is not an existing directory"
+        "message": "dest /tmp/dest_dir is not a directory"
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_src.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_src.json
index b77a44170..03331b56c 100644
--- a/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_src.json
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/invalid_src.json
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 {
+    "require_platform": [
+        "Darwin",
+        "Linux"
+    ],
     "kwargs": {
         "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
         "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
@@ -14,8 +18,7 @@
             "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": null
         }
     },
-    "exception": {
-        "name": "OperationError",
-        "message": "src /tmp/src_dir/file does not exist"
-    }
+    "commands": [
+        "cp -r /tmp/src_dir/file /tmp/dest_dir"
+    ]
 }
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.copy/missing_dest.json b/tests/operations/files.copy/missing_dest.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..345c2dbd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.copy/missing_dest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": false,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": null
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "cp -r /tmp/src_dir/file /tmp/dest_dir"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_dest.json b/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_dest.json
index 4c8acd7a0..03edfc232 100644
--- a/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_dest.json
+++ b/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_dest.json
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 {
-    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
-    "args": ["tmp/testfile", "tmp2"],
+    "require_platform": [
+        "Darwin",
+        "Linux"
+    ],
+    "args": [
+        "tmp/testfile",
+        "tmp2"
+    ],
     "facts": {
         "files.File": {
             "path=tmp/testfile": {
@@ -8,11 +14,11 @@
             }
         },
         "files.Directory": {
-            "path=tmp2": null
+            "path=tmp2": false
         }
     },
     "exception": {
         "name": "OperationError",
-        "message": "dest tmp2 is not an existing directory"
+        "message": "dest tmp2 is not a directory"
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_src.json b/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_src.json
index 121d0892e..4f64e6fc7 100644
--- a/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_src.json
+++ b/tests/operations/files.move/invalid_src.json
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 {
-    "require_platform": ["Darwin", "Linux"],
-    "args": ["tmp/testfile", "tmp2"],
+    "require_platform": [
+        "Darwin",
+        "Linux"
+    ],
+    "args": [
+        "tmp/testfile",
+        "tmp2"
+    ],
     "facts": {
         "files.File": {
-            "path=tmp/testfile": null
+            "path=tmp/testfile": null,
+            "path=tmp2/testfile": null
         },
         "files.Directory": {
             "path=tmp2": {
@@ -11,8 +18,7 @@
             }
         }
     },
-    "exception": {
-        "name": "OperationError",
-        "message": "src tmp/testfile does not exist"
-    }
+    "commands": [
+        "mv tmp/testfile tmp2"
+    ]
 }
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.move/missing_dest.json b/tests/operations/files.move/missing_dest.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b34ebb7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/operations/files.move/missing_dest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+{
+    "kwargs": {
+        "src": "/tmp/src_dir/file",
+        "dest": "/tmp/dest_dir",
+        "overwrite": false
+    },
+    "facts": {
+        "files.File": {
+            "path=/tmp/src_dir/file": true,
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir/file": null
+        },
+        "files.Directory": {
+            "path=/tmp/dest_dir": null
+        }
+    },
+    "commands": [
+        "mv /tmp/src_dir/file /tmp/dest_dir"
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/remote_archive_missing.json b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/remote_archive_missing.json
index 468bdbec2..f5ea60092 100644
--- a/tests/operations/files.unarchive/remote_archive_missing.json
+++ b/tests/operations/files.unarchive/remote_archive_missing.json
@@ -12,8 +12,5 @@
             "path=/tmp/missing.tar.gz": null
         }
     },
-    "exception": {
-        "name": "OperationError",
-        "message": "Remote archive /tmp/missing.tar.gz does not exist"
-    }
+    "commands": ["tar -xz -f /tmp/missing.tar.gz -C /opt/app"]
 }