diff --git a/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/__spec__/test_xlsx.py b/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/__spec__/test_xlsx.py
index 0f250c1dc5..4edc72f1c4 100644
--- a/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/__spec__/test_xlsx.py
+++ b/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/__spec__/test_xlsx.py
@@ -67,6 +67,16 @@ def test_xlsx_parser_format_error_sheet_by_index_not_existent():
     assert error.note == 'Excel document "data/sheet2.xlsx" does not have a sheet "3"'
 
 
+def test_xlsx_parser_missing_extra_dependency(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+    # https://github.com/frictionlessdata/frictionless-py/issues/1756
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "openpyxl", None)
+    monkeypatch.delitem(platform.__dict__, "openpyxl", raising=False)
+    resource = TableResource(path="data/table.xlsx")
+    with pytest.raises(FrictionlessException) as excinfo:
+        resource.open()
+    assert excinfo.value.error.note == 'Please install "frictionless[excel]"'
+
+
 def test_xlsx_parser_sheet_by_name():
     path = "data/sheet2.xlsx"
     control = formats.ExcelControl(sheet="Sheet2")
diff --git a/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/xlsx.py b/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/xlsx.py
index 591afb79e1..a09843f2d3 100644
--- a/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/xlsx.py
+++ b/frictionless/formats/excel/parsers/xlsx.py
@@ -79,9 +79,12 @@ def read_cell_stream_create(self):
         # Get book
         # To fill merged cells we can't use read-only because
         # `sheet.merged_cell_ranges` is not available in this mode
+        # NOTE: resolve the dependency outside the try/except so that a missing
+        # `frictionless[excel]` install is not reported as an invalid excel file
+        openpyxl = platform.openpyxl
         try:
             warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", category=UserWarning, module="openpyxl")
-            book = platform.openpyxl.load_workbook(
+            book = openpyxl.load_workbook(
                 self.loader.byte_stream,
                 read_only=not control.fill_merged_cells,
                 data_only=True,