diff --git a/tools/idf.py b/tools/idf.py
index f38faf5b98..cba92076e0 100755
--- a/tools/idf.py
+++ b/tools/idf.py
@@ -682,6 +682,14 @@ def init_cli(verbose_output=None):
         from idf_component_manager import idf_extensions
         extensions.append(('component_manager_ext', idf_extensions))
 
+    # Optional load `pyclang` for additional clang-tidy related functionalities
+    try:
+        from pyclang import idf_extension
+
+        extensions.append(('idf_clang_tidy_ext', idf_extension))
+    except ImportError:
+        pass
+
     for name, extension in extensions:
         try:
             all_actions = merge_action_lists(all_actions, extension.action_extensions(all_actions, project_dir))
diff --git a/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py b/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py
index d7a379d744..32e80dbab2 100644
--- a/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py
+++ b/tools/idf_py_actions/core_ext.py
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ def action_extensions(base_actions, project_path):
             subprocess.check_output(GENERATORS[args.generator]['dry_run'] + [target_name], cwd=args.build_dir)
 
         except Exception:
+            if target_name in ['clang-check', 'clang-html-report']:
+                raise FatalError('command "{}" requires an additional plugin "pyclang". '
+                                 'Please install it via "pip install --upgrade pyclang"'.format(target_name))
+
             raise FatalError(
                 'command "%s" is not known to idf.py and is not a %s target' % (target_name, args.generator))