diff --git a/commands/pull_request.go b/commands/pull_request.go
index a12c86bb..576209dd 100644
--- a/commands/pull_request.go
+++ b/commands/pull_request.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/github/hub/git"
 	"github.com/github/hub/github"
 	"github.com/github/hub/utils"
+	"github.com/octokit/go-octokit/octokit"
 )
 
 var cmdPullRequest = &Command{
@@ -163,17 +164,19 @@ func pullRequest(cmd *Command, args *Args) {
 		args.Before(fmt.Sprintf("Would request a pull request to %s from %s", fullBase, fullHead), "")
 		pullRequestURL = "PULL_REQUEST_URL"
 	} else {
+		var (
+			pr  *octokit.PullRequest
+			err error
+		)
+
 		if title != "" {
-			pr, err := client.CreatePullRequest(baseProject, base, fullHead, title, body)
-			utils.Check(err)
-			pullRequestURL = pr.HTMLURL
+			pr, err = client.CreatePullRequest(baseProject, base, fullHead, title, body)
+		} else if flagPullRequestIssue != "" {
+			pr, err = client.CreatePullRequestForIssue(baseProject, base, fullHead, flagPullRequestIssue)
 		}
 
-		if flagPullRequestIssue != "" {
-			pr, err := client.CreatePullRequestForIssue(baseProject, base, fullHead, flagPullRequestIssue)
-			utils.Check(err)
-			pullRequestURL = pr.HTMLURL
-		}
+		utils.Check(err)
+		pullRequestURL = pr.HTMLURL
 	}
 
 	args.Replace("echo", "", pullRequestURL)
diff --git a/github/client.go b/github/client.go
index 13058676..e2f45f33 100644
--- a/github/client.go
+++ b/github/client.go
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ func (client *Client) CreatePullRequest(project *Project, base, head, title, bod
 	pr, result := client.octokit().PullRequests(client.requestURL(url)).Create(params)
 	if result.HasError() {
 		err = formatError("creating pull request", result)
+		if e := warnExistenceOfRepo(project, result); e != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("%s\n%s", err, e)
+		}
+
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -79,6 +83,10 @@ func (client *Client) CreatePullRequestForIssue(project *Project, base, head, is
 	pr, result := client.octokit().PullRequests(client.requestURL(url)).Create(params)
 	if result.HasError() {
 		err = formatError("creating pull request", result)
+		if e := warnExistenceOfRepo(project, result); e != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("%s\n%s", err, e)
+		}
+
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -380,7 +388,7 @@ func formatError(action string, result *octokit.Result) error {
 		statusCode := e.Response.StatusCode
 		var reason string
 		if s := strings.SplitN(e.Response.Status, " ", 2); len(s) >= 2 {
-			reason = s[1]
+			reason = strings.TrimSpace(s[1])
 		}
 
 		errStr := fmt.Sprintf("Error %s: %s (HTTP %d)", action, reason, statusCode)
@@ -407,3 +415,17 @@ func formatError(action string, result *octokit.Result) error {
 
 	return result.Err
 }
+
+func warnExistenceOfRepo(project *Project, result *octokit.Result) (err error) {
+	if e, ok := result.Err.(*octokit.ResponseError); ok && e.Response.StatusCode == 404 {
+		var url string
+		if s := strings.SplitN(project.WebURL("", "", ""), "://", 2); len(s) >= 2 {
+			url = s[1]
+		}
+		if url != "" {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("Are you sure that %s exists?", url)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return
+}
diff --git a/github/client_test.go b/github/client_test.go
index f6c0e82f..4c1f6158 100644
--- a/github/client_test.go
+++ b/github/client_test.go
@@ -22,21 +22,45 @@ func TestClient_ApiEndpoint(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestClient_formatError(t *testing.T) {
 	result := &octokit.Result{
-		Response: &octokit.Response{
-			Response: &http.Response{StatusCode: 401, Status: "401 Not Found"},
+		Err: &octokit.ResponseError{
+			Response: &http.Response{
+				StatusCode: 401,
+				Status:     "401 Not Found",
+			},
 		},
 	}
 	err := formatError("action", result)
 	assert.Equal(t, "Error action: Not Found (HTTP 401)", fmt.Sprintf("%s", err))
 
 	result = &octokit.Result{
-		Response: &octokit.Response{
-			Response: &http.Response{StatusCode: 422, Status: "422 Unprocessable Entity"},
-		},
 		Err: &octokit.ResponseError{
+			Response: &http.Response{
+				StatusCode: 422,
+				Status:     "422 Unprocessable Entity",
+			},
 			Message: "error message",
 		},
 	}
 	err = formatError("action", result)
 	assert.Equal(t, "Error action: Unprocessable Entity (HTTP 422)\nerror message", fmt.Sprintf("%s", err))
 }
+
+func TestClient_warnExistenceOfRepo(t *testing.T) {
+	project := &Project{
+		Name:  "hub",
+		Owner: "github",
+		Host:  "github.com",
+	}
+	result := &octokit.Result{
+		Err: &octokit.ResponseError{
+			Response: &http.Response{
+				StatusCode: 404,
+				Status:     "404 Not Found",
+			},
+			Message: "error message",
+		},
+	}
+
+	err := warnExistenceOfRepo(project, result)
+	assert.Equal(t, "Are you sure that github.com/github/hub exists?", fmt.Sprintf("%s", err))
+}