diff --git a/renku/cli/rerun.py b/renku/cli/rerun.py
index 83d05b3f53..700dfa103b 100644
--- a/renku/cli/rerun.py
+++ b/renku/cli/rerun.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 import click
 
 from renku.cli.utils.callback import ClickCallback
+from renku.core import errors
 from renku.core.commands.rerun import rerun_command
 
 
@@ -58,4 +59,7 @@ def rerun(sources, paths):
     """Recreate files generated by a sequence of ``run`` commands."""
     communicator = ClickCallback()
 
-    rerun_command().with_communicator(communicator).build().execute(sources=sources, paths=paths)
+    try:
+        rerun_command().with_communicator(communicator).build().execute(sources=sources, paths=paths)
+    except errors.NothingToExecuteError:
+        exit(1)
diff --git a/renku/core/commands/rerun.py b/renku/core/commands/rerun.py
index ca8b698c47..0147bd31ff 100644
--- a/renku/core/commands/rerun.py
+++ b/renku/core/commands/rerun.py
@@ -16,14 +16,18 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 """Renku ``rerun`` command."""
+
 from collections import defaultdict
-from typing import List
+from typing import List, Set
 
+from renku.core import errors
 from renku.core.commands.update import execute_workflow
 from renku.core.management.command_builder.command import Command, inject
 from renku.core.management.interface.activity_gateway import IActivityGateway
 from renku.core.management.interface.client_dispatcher import IClientDispatcher
+from renku.core.models.provenance.activity import Activity
 from renku.core.utils import communication
+from renku.core.utils.metadata import add_activity_if_recent
 from renku.core.utils.os import get_relative_paths
 
 
@@ -53,32 +57,20 @@ def _rerun(
 
     activities = _get_activities(paths, sources, activity_gateway)
 
-    if not activities:
-        exit(1)
+    if len(activities) == 0:
+        raise errors.NothingToExecuteError()
 
     plans = [a.plan_with_values for a in activities]
 
     execute_workflow(plans=plans, command_name="rerun")
 
 
-def _get_activities(paths: List[str], sources: List[str], activity_gateway: IActivityGateway):
+def _get_activities(paths: List[str], sources: List[str], activity_gateway: IActivityGateway) -> Set[Activity]:
     all_activities = defaultdict(set)
 
     def include_newest_activity(activity):
         existing_activities = all_activities[activity.association.plan.id]
-
-        if activity in existing_activities:
-            return
-
-        for existing_activity in existing_activities:
-            if activity.has_identical_inputs_and_outputs_as(existing_activity):
-                if activity.ended_at_time > existing_activity.ended_at_time:  # activity is newer
-                    existing_activities.remove(existing_activity)
-                    existing_activities.add(activity)
-                return
-
-        # No similar activity was found
-        existing_activities.add(activity)
+        add_activity_if_recent(activity=activity, activities=existing_activities)
 
     for path in paths:
         activities = activity_gateway.get_activities_by_generation(path)
diff --git a/renku/core/commands/update.py b/renku/core/commands/update.py
index 94d57bc3fe..ab6d732153 100644
--- a/renku/core/commands/update.py
+++ b/renku/core/commands/update.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 from renku.core.models.workflow.plan import Plan
 from renku.core.utils.datetime8601 import local_now
 from renku.core.utils.git import add_to_git
-from renku.core.utils.metadata import get_modified_activities
+from renku.core.utils.metadata import add_activity_if_recent, get_modified_activities
 from renku.core.utils.os import get_relative_paths
 from renku.version import __version__, version_url
 
@@ -94,19 +94,7 @@ def _get_downstream_activities(
 
     def include_newest_activity(activity):
         existing_activities = all_activities[activity.association.plan.id]
-
-        if activity in existing_activities:
-            return
-
-        for existing_activity in existing_activities:
-            if activity.has_identical_inputs_and_outputs_as(existing_activity):
-                if activity.ended_at_time > existing_activity.ended_at_time:  # activity is newer
-                    existing_activities.remove(existing_activity)
-                    existing_activities.add(activity)
-                return
-
-        # No similar activity was found
-        existing_activities.add(activity)
+        add_activity_if_recent(activity=activity, activities=existing_activities)
 
     def does_activity_generate_any_paths(activity):
         is_same = any(g.entity.path in paths for g in activity.generations)
diff --git a/renku/core/utils/metadata.py b/renku/core/utils/metadata.py
index f5b7003f43..2b4d5f3c83 100644
--- a/renku/core/utils/metadata.py
+++ b/renku/core/utils/metadata.py
@@ -94,3 +94,19 @@ def get_modified_activities(
                 modified.add((activity, entity))
 
     return modified, deleted
+
+
+def add_activity_if_recent(activity: Activity, activities: Set[Activity]):
+    """Add ``activity`` to ``activities`` if it's not in the set or is the latest executed instance."""
+    if activity in activities:
+        return
+
+    for existing_activity in activities:
+        if activity.has_identical_inputs_and_outputs_as(existing_activity):
+            if activity.ended_at_time > existing_activity.ended_at_time:  # activity is newer
+                activities.remove(existing_activity)
+                activities.add(activity)
+            return
+
+    # NOTE: No similar activity was found
+    activities.add(activity)
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_rerun.py b/tests/cli/test_rerun.py
index b0d48cb7e2..04e592bc91 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_rerun.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_rerun.py
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ def test_rerun_with_edited_inputs(project, run, no_lfs_warning):
 
 
 def test_rerun_with_no_execution(project, runner):
-    """Test update and rerun of an input."""
+    """Test rerun when no workflow is executed."""
     repo = git.Repo(project)
     input = os.path.join(project, "data", "input.txt")
     write_and_commit_file(repo, input, "content")