diff --git a/builtin-fetch.c b/builtin-fetch.c
index 1e4a3d9c51..7fb35fca9d 100644
--- a/builtin-fetch.c
+++ b/builtin-fetch.c
@@ -636,6 +636,9 @@ int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	else
 		remote = remote_get(argv[0]);
 
+	if (!remote)
+		die("Where do you want to fetch from today?");
+
 	transport = transport_get(remote, remote->url[0]);
 	if (verbosity >= 2)
 		transport->verbose = 1;
@@ -648,9 +651,6 @@ int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (depth)
 		set_option(TRANS_OPT_DEPTH, depth);
 
-	if (!transport->url)
-		die("Where do you want to fetch from today?");
-
 	if (argc > 1) {
 		int j = 0;
 		refs = xcalloc(argc + 1, sizeof(const char *));
diff --git a/builtin-push.c b/builtin-push.c
index 122fdcfbdc..ca36fb1e58 100644
--- a/builtin-push.c
+++ b/builtin-push.c
@@ -53,8 +53,11 @@ static int do_push(const char *repo, int flags)
 	int i, errs;
 	struct remote *remote = remote_get(repo);
 
-	if (!remote)
-		die("bad repository '%s'", repo);
+	if (!remote) {
+		if (repo)
+			die("bad repository '%s'", repo);
+		die("No destination configured to push to.");
+	}
 
 	if (remote->mirror)
 		flags |= (TRANSPORT_PUSH_MIRROR|TRANSPORT_PUSH_FORCE);
diff --git a/remote.c b/remote.c
index d7079c6dd8..199830ea93 100644
--- a/remote.c
+++ b/remote.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ static int branches_nr;
 
 static struct branch *current_branch;
 static const char *default_remote_name;
+static int explicit_default_remote_name;
 
 static struct rewrite **rewrite;
 static int rewrite_alloc;
@@ -104,6 +105,16 @@ static void add_url_alias(struct remote *remote, const char *url)
 	add_url(remote, alias_url(url));
 }
 
+static struct remote *get_remote_by_name(const char *name)
+{
+	int i;
+	for (i = 0; i < remotes_nr; i++) {
+		if (!strcmp(name, remotes[i]->name))
+			return remotes[i];
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 static struct remote *make_remote(const char *name, int len)
 {
 	struct remote *ret;
@@ -330,8 +341,10 @@ static int handle_config(const char *key, const char *value, void *cb)
 			if (!value)
 				return config_error_nonbool(key);
 			branch->remote_name = xstrdup(value);
-			if (branch == current_branch)
+			if (branch == current_branch) {
 				default_remote_name = branch->remote_name;
+				explicit_default_remote_name = 1;
+			}
 		} else if (!strcmp(subkey, ".merge")) {
 			if (!value)
 				return config_error_nonbool(key);
@@ -643,11 +656,22 @@ static int valid_remote_nick(const char *name)
 struct remote *remote_get(const char *name)
 {
 	struct remote *ret;
+	int name_given = 0;
 
 	read_config();
-	if (!name)
+	if (name)
+		name_given = 1;
+	else {
 		name = default_remote_name;
-	ret = make_remote(name, 0);
+		name_given = explicit_default_remote_name;
+	}
+	if (name_given)
+		ret = make_remote(name, 0);
+	else {
+		ret = get_remote_by_name(name);
+		if (!ret)
+			return NULL;
+	}
 	if (valid_remote_nick(name)) {
 		if (!ret->url)
 			read_remotes_file(ret);