diff --git a/hgext/mq.py b/hgext/mq.py
--- a/hgext/mq.py
+++ b/hgext/mq.py
@@ -977,6 +977,8 @@ class queue(object):
                 self.ui.warn(_('done\n'))
                 raise
 
+            if not self.applied:
+                return ret[0]
             top = self.applied[-1].name
             if ret[0] and ret[0] > 1:
                 msg = _("errors during apply, please fix and refresh %s\n")
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail b/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail
--- a/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail
@@ -53,4 +53,10 @@ rm .hg/patches/patch2
 echo '% now we expect the push to fail, but it should NOT complain about patch1'
 hg qpush
 
+echo '% preparing qpush of missing patch with no patch applied'
+hg qpop -a
+rm .hg/patches/patch1
+echo '% qpush should fail the same way as below'
+hg qpush
+
 true # happy ending
diff --git a/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail.out b/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail.out
--- a/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail.out
+++ b/tests/test-mq-qpush-fail.out
@@ -27,3 +27,8 @@ now at: patch1
 applying patch2
 unable to read patch2
 now at: patch1
+% preparing qpush of missing patch with no patch applied
+patch queue now empty
+% qpush should fail the same way as below
+applying patch1
+unable to read patch1