diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/config/loader.py b/sqlmesh/core/config/loader.py
index 2c1554454b..a7b997e303 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/core/config/loader.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/core/config/loader.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def load_configs(
     paths: t.Union[str | Path, t.Iterable[str | Path]],
     sqlmesh_path: t.Optional[Path] = None,
     dotenv_path: t.Optional[Path] = None,
+    **kwargs: t.Any,
 ) -> t.Dict[Path, C]:
     sqlmesh_path = sqlmesh_path or c.SQLMESH_PATH
     config = config or "config"
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ def load_configs(
                 project_paths=[path / name for name in ALL_CONFIG_FILENAMES],
                 personal_paths=personal_paths,
                 config_name=config,
+                **kwargs,
             )
             for path in absolute_paths
         }
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ def load_config_from_paths(
     personal_paths: t.Optional[t.List[Path]] = None,
     config_name: str = "config",
     load_from_env: bool = True,
+    **kwargs: t.Any,
 ) -> C:
     project_paths = project_paths or []
     personal_paths = personal_paths or []
@@ -168,7 +171,11 @@ def load_config_from_paths(
         if dbt_project_file:
             from sqlmesh.dbt.loader import sqlmesh_config
 
-            dbt_python_config = sqlmesh_config(project_root=dbt_project_file.parent)
+            dbt_python_config = sqlmesh_config(
+                project_root=dbt_project_file.parent,
+                dbt_profile_name=kwargs.pop("profile", None),
+                dbt_target_name=kwargs.pop("target", None),
+            )
             if type(dbt_python_config) != config_type:
                 dbt_python_config = convert_config_type(dbt_python_config, config_type)
 
diff --git a/sqlmesh/core/context.py b/sqlmesh/core/context.py
index eca60ecea9..9022f3f069 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/core/context.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/core/context.py
@@ -367,9 +367,12 @@ def __init__(
         loader: t.Optional[t.Type[Loader]] = None,
         load: bool = True,
         users: t.Optional[t.List[User]] = None,
+        config_loader_kwargs: t.Optional[t.Dict[str, t.Any]] = None,
     ):
         self.configs = (
-            config if isinstance(config, dict) else load_configs(config, self.CONFIG_TYPE, paths)
+            config
+            if isinstance(config, dict)
+            else load_configs(config, self.CONFIG_TYPE, paths, **(config_loader_kwargs or {}))
         )
         self._projects = {config.project for config in self.configs.values()}
         self.dag: DAG[str] = DAG()
diff --git a/sqlmesh/dbt/loader.py b/sqlmesh/dbt/loader.py
index 3a22b61bf6..b4e8caf0bc 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/dbt/loader.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/dbt/loader.py
@@ -44,13 +44,14 @@
 def sqlmesh_config(
     project_root: t.Optional[Path] = None,
     state_connection: t.Optional[ConnectionConfig] = None,
+    dbt_profile_name: t.Optional[str] = None,
     dbt_target_name: t.Optional[str] = None,
     variables: t.Optional[t.Dict[str, t.Any]] = None,
     register_comments: t.Optional[bool] = None,
     **kwargs: t.Any,
 ) -> Config:
     project_root = project_root or Path()
-    context = DbtContext(project_root=project_root)
+    context = DbtContext(project_root=project_root, profile_name=dbt_profile_name)
     profile = Profile.load(context, target_name=dbt_target_name)
     model_defaults = kwargs.pop("model_defaults", ModelDefaultsConfig())
     if model_defaults.dialect is None:
diff --git a/sqlmesh/dbt/profile.py b/sqlmesh/dbt/profile.py
index 72634833a6..ea0384c786 100644
--- a/sqlmesh/dbt/profile.py
+++ b/sqlmesh/dbt/profile.py
@@ -101,8 +101,10 @@ def _read_profile(
             target_name = context.render(project_data.get("target"))
 
         if target_name not in outputs:
+            target_names = "\n".join(f"- {name}" for name in outputs)
             raise ConfigError(
-                f"Target '{target_name}' not specified in profiles for '{context.profile_name}'."
+                f"Target '{target_name}' not specified in profiles for '{context.profile_name}'. "
+                f"The valid target names for this profile are:\n{target_names}"
             )
 
         target_fields = load_yaml(context.render(yaml.dump(outputs[target_name])))
diff --git a/sqlmesh_dbt/cli.py b/sqlmesh_dbt/cli.py
index 2ec59b665d..500a9d6fa0 100644
--- a/sqlmesh_dbt/cli.py
+++ b/sqlmesh_dbt/cli.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 import sys
 import click
 from sqlmesh_dbt.operations import DbtOperations, create
+from sqlmesh_dbt.error import cli_global_error_handler
+from pathlib import Path
 
 
 def _get_dbt_operations(ctx: click.Context) -> DbtOperations:
@@ -10,9 +12,14 @@ def _get_dbt_operations(ctx: click.Context) -> DbtOperations:
     return ctx.obj
 
 
-@click.group()
+@click.group(invoke_without_command=True)
+@click.option("--profile", help="Which existing profile to load. Overrides output.profile")
+@click.option("-t", "--target", help="Which target to load for the given profile")
 @click.pass_context
-def dbt(ctx: click.Context) -> None:
+@cli_global_error_handler
+def dbt(
+    ctx: click.Context, profile: t.Optional[str] = None, target: t.Optional[str] = None
+) -> None:
     """
     An ELT tool for managing your SQL transformations and data models, powered by the SQLMesh engine.
     """
@@ -22,7 +29,12 @@ def dbt(ctx: click.Context) -> None:
         return
 
     # TODO: conditionally call create() if there are times we dont want/need to import sqlmesh and load a project
-    ctx.obj = create()
+    ctx.obj = create(project_dir=Path.cwd(), profile=profile, target=target)
+
+    if not ctx.invoked_subcommand:
+        click.echo(
+            f"No command specified. Run `{ctx.info_name} --help` to see the available commands."
+        )
 
 
 @dbt.command()
diff --git a/sqlmesh_dbt/error.py b/sqlmesh_dbt/error.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f5d4bc438c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sqlmesh_dbt/error.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import typing as t
+import logging
+from functools import wraps
+import click
+import sys
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def cli_global_error_handler(
+    func: t.Callable[..., t.Any],
+) -> t.Callable[..., t.Any]:
+    @wraps(func)
+    def wrapper(*args: t.List[t.Any], **kwargs: t.Any) -> t.Any:
+        try:
+            return func(*args, **kwargs)
+        except Exception as ex:
+            # these imports are deliberately deferred to avoid the penalty of importing the `sqlmesh`
+            # package up front for every CLI command
+            from sqlmesh.utils.errors import SQLMeshError
+            from sqlglot.errors import SqlglotError
+
+            if isinstance(ex, (SQLMeshError, SqlglotError, ValueError)):
+                click.echo(click.style("Error: " + str(ex), fg="red"))
+                sys.exit(1)
+            else:
+                raise
+        finally:
+            context_or_obj = args[0]
+            sqlmesh_context = (
+                context_or_obj.obj if isinstance(context_or_obj, click.Context) else context_or_obj
+            )
+            if sqlmesh_context is not None:
+                # important to import this only if a context was created
+                # otherwise something like `sqlmesh_dbt run --help` will trigger this import because it's in the finally: block
+                from sqlmesh import Context
+
+                if isinstance(sqlmesh_context, Context):
+                    sqlmesh_context.close()
+
+    return wrapper
diff --git a/sqlmesh_dbt/operations.py b/sqlmesh_dbt/operations.py
index ec07efd37b..f9aae3cdac 100644
--- a/sqlmesh_dbt/operations.py
+++ b/sqlmesh_dbt/operations.py
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ def console(self) -> DbtCliConsole:
 
 
 def create(
-    project_dir: t.Optional[Path] = None, profiles_dir: t.Optional[Path] = None, debug: bool = False
+    project_dir: t.Optional[Path] = None,
+    profile: t.Optional[str] = None,
+    target: t.Optional[str] = None,
+    debug: bool = False,
 ) -> DbtOperations:
     with Progress(transient=True) as progress:
         # Indeterminate progress bar before SQLMesh import to provide feedback to the user that something is indeed happening
@@ -76,6 +79,7 @@ def create(
 
         sqlmesh_context = Context(
             paths=[project_dir],
+            config_loader_kwargs=dict(profile=profile, target=target),
             load=True,
         )
 
diff --git a/tests/dbt/cli/test_global_flags.py b/tests/dbt/cli/test_global_flags.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..802d359346
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/dbt/cli/test_global_flags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import typing as t
+from pathlib import Path
+import pytest
+from click.testing import Result
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.slow
+
+
+def test_profile_and_target(jaffle_shop_duckdb: Path, invoke_cli: t.Callable[..., Result]):
+    # profile doesnt exist - error
+    result = invoke_cli(["--profile", "nonexist"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "Profile 'nonexist' not found in profiles" in result.output
+
+    # profile exists - successful load with default target
+    result = invoke_cli(["--profile", "jaffle_shop"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert "No command specified" in result.output
+
+    # profile exists but target doesnt - error
+    result = invoke_cli(["--profile", "jaffle_shop", "--target", "nonexist"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "Target 'nonexist' not specified in profiles" in result.output
+    assert "valid target names for this profile are" in result.output
+    assert "- dev" in result.output
+
+    # profile exists and so does target - successful load with specified target
+    result = invoke_cli(["--profile", "jaffle_shop", "--target", "dev"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert "No command specified" in result.output
diff --git a/tests/dbt/cli/test_operations.py b/tests/dbt/cli/test_operations.py
index c35cab992c..9d36b10f60 100644
--- a/tests/dbt/cli/test_operations.py
+++ b/tests/dbt/cli/test_operations.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import pytest
 from sqlmesh_dbt.operations import create
 from sqlmesh.utils import yaml
+from sqlmesh.utils.errors import SQLMeshError
 import time_machine
 
 pytestmark = pytest.mark.slow
@@ -53,3 +54,18 @@ def test_create_uses_configured_start_date_if_supplied(jaffle_shop_duckdb: Path)
         for model in operations.context.models.values()
         if not model.kind.is_seed
     )
+
+
+def test_create_can_specify_profile_and_target(jaffle_shop_duckdb: Path):
+    with pytest.raises(SQLMeshError, match=r"Profile 'foo' not found"):
+        create(profile="foo")
+
+    with pytest.raises(
+        SQLMeshError, match=r"Target 'prod' not specified in profiles for 'jaffle_shop'"
+    ):
+        create(profile="jaffle_shop", target="prod")
+
+    dbt_project = create(profile="jaffle_shop", target="dev").project
+
+    assert dbt_project.context.profile_name == "jaffle_shop"
+    assert dbt_project.context.target_name == "dev"