diff --git a/src/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommand.php b/src/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommand.php
index 9f5d1289..57bc240a 100644
--- a/src/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommand.php
+++ b/src/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommand.php
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ public function getTemplateDefault()
     protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
     {
         $org = $input->getOption('org');
+        $repo = $input->getOption('repo');
         $template = $input->getOption('template');
 
         $sourceOrg = $input->getOption('source-org');
@@ -146,11 +147,12 @@ protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
 
         /** @var StyleHelper $styleHelper */
         $styleHelper = $this->getHelper('gush_style');
+        $this->guardRemoteUpdated($org, $repo);
 
-        $styleHelper->title(sprintf('Open request on %s/%s', $org, $input->getOption('repo')));
+        $styleHelper->title(sprintf('Open request on %s/%s', $org, $repo));
         $styleHelper->text(
             [
-                sprintf('This pull-request will be opened on "%s/%s".', $org, $input->getOption('repo')),
+                sprintf('This pull-request will be opened on "%s/%s".', $org, $repo),
                 sprintf('The source branch is "%s" on "%s".', $sourceBranch, $sourceOrg),
             ]
         );
@@ -211,9 +213,7 @@ private function guardRemoteBranchExist($org, $repo, $branch, StyleHelper $style
         }
 
         if ($gitHelper->branchExists($branch)) {
-            $gitConfigHelper->ensureRemoteExists($org, $repo);
-
-            $gitHelper->remoteUpdate($org);
+            $this->guardRemoteUpdated($org, $repo);
             $gitHelper->pushToRemote($org, $branch, true);
 
             $styleHelper->note(sprintf('Branch "%s" was pushed to "%s".', $branch, $org));
@@ -225,4 +225,19 @@ private function guardRemoteBranchExist($org, $repo, $branch, StyleHelper $style
             sprintf('Cannot open pull-request, remote branch "%s" does not exist in "%s/%s".', $branch, $org, $repo)
         );
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string $org
+     * @param string $repo
+     */
+    private function guardRemoteUpdated($org, $repo)
+    {
+        /** @var GitConfigHelper $gitConfigHelper */
+        $gitConfigHelper = $this->getHelper('git_config');
+        /** @var GitHelper $gitHelper */
+        $gitHelper = $this->getHelper('git');
+
+        $gitConfigHelper->ensureRemoteExists($org, $repo);
+        $gitHelper->remoteUpdate($org);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Helper/GitHelper.php b/src/Helper/GitHelper.php
index 7c280b5c..16999bb5 100644
--- a/src/Helper/GitHelper.php
+++ b/src/Helper/GitHelper.php
@@ -294,26 +294,31 @@ public function getIssueNumber()
      * @param string $sourceBranch The source branch name
      *
      * @return string The title of the first commit on sourceBranch off of base
+     *                or an empty string in the case of an error
      */
     public function getFirstCommitTitle($base, $sourceBranch)
     {
-        $forkPoint = $this->processHelper->runCommand(
-            sprintf(
-                'git merge-base --fork-point %s %s',
-                $base,
-                $sourceBranch
-            )
-        );
+        try {
+            $forkPoint = $this->processHelper->runCommand(
+                sprintf(
+                    'git merge-base --fork-point %s %s',
+                    $base,
+                    $sourceBranch
+                )
+            );
 
-        $lines = $this->processHelper->runCommand(
-            sprintf(
-                'git rev-list %s..%s --reverse --oneline',
-                $forkPoint,
-                $sourceBranch
-            )
-        );
+            $lines = $this->processHelper->runCommand(
+                sprintf(
+                    'git rev-list %s..%s --reverse --oneline',
+                    $forkPoint,
+                    $sourceBranch
+                )
+            );
 
-        return substr(strtok($lines, "\n"), 8);
+            return substr(strtok($lines, "\n"), 8);
+        } catch (\RuntimeException $e) {
+            return '';
+        }
     }
 
     public function createTempBranch($originalBranch)
diff --git a/tests/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommandTest.php b/tests/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommandTest.php
index a2c843c3..337cae9d 100644
--- a/tests/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommandTest.php
+++ b/tests/Command/PullRequest/PullRequestCreateCommandTest.php
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public function testOpenPullRequestWithSourceOptionsProvided()
             null,
             function (HelperSet $helperSet) {
                 $helperSet->set($this->getLocalGitHelper('sstok', 'gush', 'feat-adapters')->reveal());
-                $helperSet->set($this->getGitConfigHelper(true, 'sstok')->reveal());
+                $helperSet->set($this->getGitConfigHelper('sstok')->reveal());
             }
         );
 
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ public function testOpenPullRequestAutoPushMissingBranch()
             null,
             function (HelperSet $helperSet) {
                 $helperSet->set($this->getLocalGitHelper('someone')->reveal());
-                $helperSet->set($this->getGitConfigHelper(true, 'someone')->reveal());
+                $helperSet->set($this->getGitConfigHelper('someone')->reveal());
             }
         );
 
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ public function testCannotOpenPullRequestForNonExistentBranch()
             null,
             function (HelperSet $helperSet) {
                 $helperSet->set($this->getLocalGitHelper('someone')->reveal());
-                $helperSet->set($this->getGitConfigHelper(true, 'someone')->reveal());
+                $helperSet->set($this->getGitConfigHelper('someone')->reveal());
             }
         );
 
@@ -286,6 +286,7 @@ private function getLocalGitHelper($sourceOrg = 'cordoval', $sourceRepo = 'gush'
 
         $helper->remoteBranchExists(Argument::any(), Argument::any())->willReturn(false);
         $helper->remoteBranchExists('git@github.com:cordoval/gush.git', $branch)->willReturn(true);
+        $helper->remoteUpdate('gushphp')->shouldBeCalled();
 
         $helper->branchExists(Argument::any())->willReturn(false);
         $helper->branchExists($branch)->will(
@@ -300,17 +301,13 @@ function () use ($helper, $sourceOrg, $sourceRepo, $branch) {
         return $helper;
     }
 
-    protected function getGitConfigHelper($remoteExists = true, $sourceOrg = 'cordoval', $sourceRepo = 'gush')
+    protected function getGitConfigHelper($sourceOrg = 'cordoval', $sourceRepo = 'gush')
     {
         $helper = parent::getGitConfigHelper();
+        $helper->ensureRemoteExists('gushphp', 'gush')->shouldBeCalled();
 
-        if ($remoteExists) {
-            $helper->remoteExists($sourceOrg, $sourceRepo)->willReturn();
-            $helper->ensureRemoteExists($sourceOrg, $sourceRepo)->willReturn();
-        } else {
-            $helper->remoteExists($sourceOrg, $sourceRepo)->shouldNotBeCalled();
-            $helper->ensureRemoteExists($sourceOrg, $sourceRepo)->shouldNotBeCalled();
-        }
+        $helper->remoteExists($sourceOrg, $sourceRepo)->willReturn();
+        $helper->ensureRemoteExists($sourceOrg, $sourceRepo)->willReturn();
 
         return $helper;
     }