diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index db4fa0f..0e0a61d 100755
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@
 import re
 import sys
 
-from command import InteractiveCommand, PagedCommand
+from command import InteractiveCommand
+from command import MirrorSafeCommand
+from command import PagedCommand
 from editor import Editor
 from error import ManifestInvalidRevisionError
 from error import NoSuchProjectError
@@ -91,6 +93,12 @@
     cmd.manifest = Manifest(cmd.repodir)
     Editor.globalConfig = cmd.manifest.globalConfig
 
+    if not isinstance(cmd, MirrorSafeCommand) and cmd.manifest.IsMirror:
+      print >>sys.stderr, \
+            "fatal: '%s' requires a working directory"\
+            % name
+      sys.exit(1)
+
     if not gopts.no_pager and not isinstance(cmd, InteractiveCommand):
       config = cmd.manifest.globalConfig
       if gopts.pager: