diff --git a/hgext/patchbomb.py b/hgext/patchbomb.py
--- a/hgext/patchbomb.py
+++ b/hgext/patchbomb.py
@@ -527,6 +527,37 @@ def patchbomb(ui, repo, *revs, **opts):
     if bundle:
         opts['revs'] = [str(r) for r in revs]
 
+    # check if revision exist on the public destination
+    publicurl = repo.ui.config('patchbomb', 'publicurl')
+    if publicurl is not None:
+        repo.ui.debug('checking that revision exist in the public repo')
+        try:
+            publicpeer = hg.peer(repo, {}, publicurl)
+        except error.RepoError:
+            repo.ui.write_err(_('unable to access public repo: %s\n')
+                              % publicurl)
+            raise
+        if not publicpeer.capable('known'):
+            repo.ui.debug('skipping existence checks: public repo too old')
+        else:
+            out = [repo[r] for r in revs]
+            known = publicpeer.known(h.node() for h in out)
+            missing = []
+            for idx, h in enumerate(out):
+                if not known[idx]:
+                    missing.append(h)
+            if missing:
+                if 1 < len(missing):
+                    msg = _('public "%s" is missing %s and %i others')
+                    msg %= (publicurl, missing[0], len(missing) - 1)
+                else:
+                    msg = _('public url %s is missing %s')
+                    msg %= (publicurl, missing[0])
+                revhint = ''.join('-r %s' % h
+                                  for h in repo.set('heads(%ld)', missing))
+                hint = _('use "hg push %s %s"') % (publicurl, revhint)
+                raise error.Abort(msg, hint=hint)
+
     # start
     if date:
         start_time = util.parsedate(date)
diff --git a/tests/test-patchbomb.t b/tests/test-patchbomb.t
--- a/tests/test-patchbomb.t
+++ b/tests/test-patchbomb.t
@@ -2845,15 +2845,34 @@ single rev
 Test pull url header
 =================================
 
+basic version
+
   $ echo 'intro=auto' >> $HGRCPATH
-  $ echo 'publicurl=http://example.com/myrepo/' >> $HGRCPATH
+  $ echo "publicurl=$TESTTMP/t2" >> $HGRCPATH
   $ hg email --date '1980-1-1 0:1' -n -t foo -s test -r '10' | grep '^#'
-  # HG changeset patch
-  # User test
-  # Date 5 0
-  #      Thu Jan 01 00:00:05 1970 +0000
-  # Branch test
-  # Node ID 3b6f1ec9dde933a40a115a7990f8b320477231af
-  # Parent  2f9fa9b998c5fe3ac2bd9a2b14bfcbeecbc7c268
-  # Available At http://example.com/myrepo/
-  #              hg pull http://example.com/myrepo/ -r 3b6f1ec9dde9
+  abort: public url $TESTTMP/t2 is missing 3b6f1ec9dde9
+  (use "hg push $TESTTMP/t2 -r 3b6f1ec9dde9")
+  [1]
+
+remote missing
+
+  $ echo 'publicurl=$TESTTMP/missing' >> $HGRCPATH
+  $ hg email --date '1980-1-1 0:1' -n -t foo -s test -r '10'
+  unable to access public repo: $TESTTMP/missing
+  abort: repository $TESTTMP/missing not found!
+  [255]
+
+node missing at remote
+
+  $ hg clone -r '9' . ../t3
+  adding changesets
+  adding manifests
+  adding file changes
+  added 3 changesets with 3 changes to 3 files
+  updating to branch test
+  3 files updated, 0 files merged, 0 files removed, 0 files unresolved
+  $ echo 'publicurl=$TESTTMP/t3' >> $HGRCPATH
+  $ hg email --date '1980-1-1 0:1' -n -t foo -s test -r '10'
+  abort: public url $TESTTMP/t3 is missing 3b6f1ec9dde9
+  (use "hg push $TESTTMP/t3 -r 3b6f1ec9dde9")
+  [255]