diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -302,8 +302,9 @@ def clone(ui, source, dest = None, **opt
             repo = hg.repository(ui, ".", create=1)
             other = hg.repository(ui, source)
             fetch = repo.findincoming(other)
-            cg = other.changegroup(fetch)
-            repo.addchangegroup(cg)
+            if fetch:
+                cg = other.changegroup(fetch)
+                repo.addchangegroup(cg)
 
         f = repo.opener("hgrc", "w")
         f.write("[paths]\n")
@@ -549,6 +550,10 @@ def pull(ui, repo, source="default", **o
 
     other = hg.repository(ui, source)
     fetch = repo.findincoming(other)
+    if not fetch:
+        ui.status("no changes found\n")
+        return
+
     cg = other.changegroup(fetch)
     r = repo.addchangegroup(cg)
     if cg and not r:
diff --git a/mercurial/hg.py b/mercurial/hg.py
--- a/mercurial/hg.py
+++ b/mercurial/hg.py
@@ -841,7 +841,6 @@ class localrepository:
                 unknown.append(h)
 
         if not unknown:
-            self.ui.status("nothing to do!\n")
             return None
 
         rep = {}
diff --git a/tests/test-pull b/tests/test-pull
--- a/tests/test-pull
+++ b/tests/test-pull
@@ -16,5 +16,6 @@ hg verify
 hg co
 cat foo
 hg manifest
+hg pull
 
 kill $!
diff --git a/tests/test-pull.out b/tests/test-pull.out
--- a/tests/test-pull.out
+++ b/tests/test-pull.out
@@ -15,4 +15,7 @@ checking files
 1 files, 1 changesets, 1 total revisions
 foo
 2ed2a3912a0b24502043eae84ee4b279c18b90dd 644 foo
+pulling from http://localhost:20059/
+searching for changes
+no changes found
 killed!