diff --git a/builtin/branch.c b/builtin/branch.c
index 55cd9a6e99..499ebec99e 100644
--- a/builtin/branch.c
+++ b/builtin/branch.c
@@ -538,6 +538,13 @@ static void copy_or_rename_branch(const char *oldname, const char *newname, int
 			die(_("Invalid branch name: '%s'"), oldname);
 	}
 
+	if ((copy || strcmp(head, oldname)) && !ref_exists(oldref.buf)) {
+		if (copy && !strcmp(head, oldname))
+			die(_("No commit on branch '%s' yet."), oldname);
+		else
+			die(_("No branch named '%s'."), oldname);
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * A command like "git branch -M currentbranch currentbranch" cannot
 	 * cause the worktree to become inconsistent with HEAD, so allow it.
@@ -805,7 +812,7 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		if (!ref_exists(branch_ref.buf)) {
 			strbuf_release(&branch_ref);
 
-			if (!argc)
+			if (!argc || !strcmp(head, branch_name))
 				return error(_("No commit on branch '%s' yet."),
 					     branch_name);
 			else
@@ -848,8 +855,11 @@ int cmd_branch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			die(_("no such branch '%s'"), argv[0]);
 		}
 
-		if (!ref_exists(branch->refname))
+		if (!ref_exists(branch->refname)) {
+			if (!argc || !strcmp(head, branch->name))
+				die(_("No commit on branch '%s' yet."), branch->name);
 			die(_("branch '%s' does not exist"), branch->name);
+		}
 
 		dwim_and_setup_tracking(the_repository, branch->name,
 					new_upstream, BRANCH_TRACK_OVERRIDE,
diff --git a/t/t3202-show-branch.sh b/t/t3202-show-branch.sh
index f2b9199007..ea7cfd1951 100755
--- a/t/t3202-show-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t3202-show-branch.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,28 @@ test_description='test show-branch'
 # arbitrary reference time: 2009-08-30 19:20:00
 GIT_TEST_DATE_NOW=1251660000; export GIT_TEST_DATE_NOW
 
+test_expect_success 'error descriptions on empty repository' '
+	current=$(git branch --show-current) &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	error: No commit on branch '\''$current'\'' yet.
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git branch --edit-description 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	test_must_fail git branch --edit-description $current 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'fatal descriptions on empty repository' '
+	current=$(git branch --show-current) &&
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	fatal: No commit on branch '\''$current'\'' yet.
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git branch --set-upstream-to=non-existent 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	test_must_fail git branch -c new-branch 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'setup' '
 	test_commit initial &&
 	for i in $(test_seq 1 10)
@@ -175,4 +197,28 @@ done <<\EOF
 --reflog --current
 EOF
 
+test_expect_success 'error descriptions on non-existent branch' '
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	error: No branch named '\''non-existent'\'.'
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git branch --edit-description non-existent 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'fatal descriptions on non-existent branch' '
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	fatal: branch '\''non-existent'\'' does not exist
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git branch --set-upstream-to=non-existent non-existent 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+
+	cat >expect <<-EOF &&
+	fatal: No branch named '\''non-existent'\''.
+	EOF
+	test_must_fail git branch -c non-existent new-branch 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual &&
+	test_must_fail git branch -m non-existent new-branch 2>actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_done