diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
index 8a699ca0..d5062e01 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-repo-pull.c
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ fetch_ref_contents (OtPullData                 *pull_data,
     {
 #ifdef OSTREE_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_API
       if (!ostree_repo_resolve_collection_ref (pull_data->remote_repo_local,
-                                               ref, TRUE  /* ignore enoent */,
+                                               ref, FALSE,
                                                OSTREE_REPO_RESOLVE_REV_EXT_NONE,
                                                &ret_contents, cancellable, error))
         return FALSE;
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ fetch_ref_contents (OtPullData                 *pull_data,
   else if (pull_data->remote_repo_local != NULL)
     {
       if (!ostree_repo_resolve_rev_ext (pull_data->remote_repo_local,
-                                        ref->ref_name, TRUE  /* ignore enoent */,
+                                        ref->ref_name, FALSE,
                                         OSTREE_REPO_RESOLVE_REV_EXT_NONE,
                                         &ret_contents, error))
         return FALSE;
@@ -874,14 +874,13 @@ fetch_ref_contents (OtPullData                 *pull_data,
                                                   filename, &ret_contents,
                                                   cancellable, error))
         return FALSE;
+
+      g_strchomp (ret_contents);
     }
 
-  /* Validate and return. */
-  if (ret_contents != NULL)
-    g_strchomp (ret_contents);
+  g_assert (ret_contents);
 
-  if (ret_contents == NULL ||
-      !ostree_validate_checksum_string (ret_contents, error))
+  if (!ostree_validate_checksum_string (ret_contents, error))
     return glnx_prefix_error (error, "Fetching checksum for ref (%s, %s)",
                               ref->collection_id ? ref->collection_id : "(empty)",
                               ref->ref_name);
diff --git a/tests/pull-test.sh b/tests/pull-test.sh
index 7d4b57f9..2afc0aca 100644
--- a/tests/pull-test.sh
+++ b/tests/pull-test.sh
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function verify_initial_contents() {
     assert_file_has_content baz/cow '^moo$'
 }
 
-echo "1..31"
+echo "1..32"
 
 # Try both syntaxes
 repo_init --no-gpg-verify
@@ -238,6 +238,14 @@ ${CMD_PREFIX} ostree --repo=mirrorrepo-local rev-parse localbranch
 ${CMD_PREFIX} ostree --repo=mirrorrepo-local fsck
 echo "ok pull-local mirror errors with mixed refs"
 
+rm -f otherrepo/summary
+if ${CMD_PREFIX} ostree --repo=mirrorrepo-local pull-local otherrepo nosuchbranch 2>err.txt; then
+    fatal "pulled nonexistent branch"
+fi
+# So true
+assert_file_has_content_literal err.txt "error: Refspec 'nosuchbranch' not found"
+echo "ok pull-local nonexistent branch"
+
 cd ${test_tmpdir}
 ${CMD_PREFIX} ostree --repo=ostree-srv/gnomerepo commit -b main -s "Metadata string" --add-detached-metadata-string=SIGNATURE=HANCOCK --tree=ref=main
 ${CMD_PREFIX} ostree --repo=ostree-srv/gnomerepo summary -u