diff --git a/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module.go b/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module.go
index 671d4a561..4819cc6b6 100644
--- a/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module.go
+++ b/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module.go
@@ -150,13 +150,17 @@ func (rm *rootModule) SetLogger(logger *log.Logger) {
 	rm.logger = logger
 }
 
-func (rm *rootModule) StartLoading() {
+func (rm *rootModule) StartLoading() error {
+	if !rm.IsLoadingDone() {
+		return fmt.Errorf("root module is already being loaded")
+	}
 	ctx, cancelFunc := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	rm.cancelLoading = cancelFunc
 
 	go func(ctx context.Context) {
 		rm.setLoadErr(rm.load(ctx))
 	}(ctx)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (rm *rootModule) CancelLoading() {
diff --git a/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module_manager.go b/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module_manager.go
index e188af4df..1726057da 100644
--- a/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module_manager.go
+++ b/internal/terraform/rootmodule/root_module_manager.go
@@ -103,7 +103,10 @@ func (rmm *rootModuleManager) AddAndStartLoadingRootModule(ctx context.Context,
 	}
 
 	rmm.logger.Printf("asynchronously loading root module %s", dir)
-	rm.StartLoading()
+	err = rm.StartLoading()
+	if err != nil {
+		return rm, err
+	}
 
 	return rm, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/terraform/rootmodule/types.go b/internal/terraform/rootmodule/types.go
index 1d62b9373..ed35945d0 100644
--- a/internal/terraform/rootmodule/types.go
+++ b/internal/terraform/rootmodule/types.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func (rms RootModules) Paths() []string {
 type RootModule interface {
 	Path() string
 	LoadError() error
-	StartLoading()
+	StartLoading() error
 	IsLoadingDone() bool
 	IsKnownPluginLockFile(path string) bool
 	IsKnownModuleManifestFile(path string) bool