Both canonical theory and climate model simulations predict an increase in globally averaged precipitation with warming from radiative forcing. However, terrestrial processes control surface water and energy fluxes, and therefore can impact surface temperatures independently of radiative forcing. Here, we examine the land-mean precipitation response to evapotranspiration (ET) in ensembles of simulations where land surface parameters were perturbed in two climate models. We find that warming driven by reduced ET decreases land-mean precipitation through large decreases in near-surface relative humidity. The decline in relative humidity from warming overcomes increased moisture convergence over land driven by shifts in large-scale circulation and enhanced moisture following Clausius-Clapeyron scaling. Further, the suppressed ET induces a shortwave cloud response that amplifies warming. Our results highlight the influence of terrestrial processes on warming and precipitation, which is not directly captured by theoretical scalings of the global hydrological cycle, indicating the potential significance of terrestrial ecosystem functioning and response to climate change.