diff --git a/src/duplicacy_backupmanager.go b/src/duplicacy_backupmanager.go
index 795135c..2e5a908 100644
--- a/src/duplicacy_backupmanager.go
+++ b/src/duplicacy_backupmanager.go
@@ -211,6 +211,11 @@ func (manager *BackupManager) Backup(top string, quickMode bool, threads int, ta
 		return true
 	}
 
+	if len(localSnapshot.Files) == 0 {
+		LOG_ERROR("SNAPSHOT_EMPTY", "No files under the repository to be backed up")
+		return false
+	}
+
 	// This cache contains all chunks referenced by last snasphot. Any other chunks will lead to a call to
 	// UploadChunk.
 	chunkCache := make(map[string]bool)
diff --git a/src/duplicacy_snapshot.go b/src/duplicacy_snapshot.go
index 016c85f..45180f9 100644
--- a/src/duplicacy_snapshot.go
+++ b/src/duplicacy_snapshot.go
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ func CreateSnapshotFromDirectory(id string, top string, nobackupFile string, fil
 		snapshot.Files = append(snapshot.Files, directory)
 		subdirectories, skipped, err := ListEntries(top, directory.Path, &snapshot.Files, patterns, nobackupFile, snapshot.discardAttributes)
 		if err != nil {
+			if directory.Path == "" {
+				LOG_ERROR("LIST_FAILURE", "Failed to list the repository root: %v", err)
+				return nil, nil, nil, err
+			}
 			LOG_WARN("LIST_FAILURE", "Failed to list subdirectory: %v", err)
 			skippedDirectories = append(skippedDirectories, directory.Path)
 			continue