diff --git a/mercurial/archival.py b/mercurial/archival.py
--- a/mercurial/archival.py
+++ b/mercurial/archival.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import scmutil, util, encoding
 import cStringIO, os, tarfile, time, zipfile
 import zlib, gzip
 import struct
+import error
 
 # from unzip source code:
 _UNX_IFREG = 0x8000
@@ -288,20 +289,25 @@ def archive(repo, dest, node, kind, deco
         files = [f for f in ctx.manifest().keys() if matchfn(f)]
     else:
         files = ctx.manifest().keys()
-    files.sort()
     total = len(files)
-    repo.ui.progress(_('archiving'), 0, unit=_('files'), total=total)
-    for i, f in enumerate(files):
-        ff = ctx.flags(f)
-        write(f, 'x' in ff and 0755 or 0644, 'l' in ff, ctx[f].data)
-        repo.ui.progress(_('archiving'), i + 1, item=f,
-                         unit=_('files'), total=total)
-    repo.ui.progress(_('archiving'), None)
+    if total:
+        files.sort()
+        repo.ui.progress(_('archiving'), 0, unit=_('files'), total=total)
+        for i, f in enumerate(files):
+            ff = ctx.flags(f)
+            write(f, 'x' in ff and 0755 or 0644, 'l' in ff, ctx[f].data)
+            repo.ui.progress(_('archiving'), i + 1, item=f,
+                             unit=_('files'), total=total)
+        repo.ui.progress(_('archiving'), None)
 
     if subrepos:
         for subpath in sorted(ctx.substate):
             sub = ctx.sub(subpath)
             submatch = matchmod.narrowmatcher(subpath, matchfn)
-            sub.archive(repo.ui, archiver, prefix, submatch)
+            total += sub.archive(repo.ui, archiver, prefix, submatch)
+
+    if total == 0:
+        raise error.Abort(_('no files match the archive pattern'))
 
     archiver.done()
+    return total
diff --git a/mercurial/subrepo.py b/mercurial/subrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/subrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/subrepo.py
@@ -423,6 +423,7 @@ class abstractsubrepo(object):
             ui.progress(_('archiving (%s)') % relpath, i + 1,
                         unit=_('files'), total=total)
         ui.progress(_('archiving (%s)') % relpath, None)
+        return total
 
     def walk(self, match):
         '''
@@ -580,14 +581,15 @@ class hgsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
     @annotatesubrepoerror
     def archive(self, ui, archiver, prefix, match=None):
         self._get(self._state + ('hg',))
-        abstractsubrepo.archive(self, ui, archiver, prefix, match)
-
+        total = abstractsubrepo.archive(self, ui, archiver, prefix, match)
         rev = self._state[1]
         ctx = self._repo[rev]
         for subpath in ctx.substate:
             s = subrepo(ctx, subpath)
             submatch = matchmod.narrowmatcher(subpath, match)
-            s.archive(ui, archiver, os.path.join(prefix, self._path), submatch)
+            total += s.archive(
+                ui, archiver, os.path.join(prefix, self._path), submatch)
+        return total
 
     @annotatesubrepoerror
     def dirty(self, ignoreupdate=False):
@@ -1383,9 +1385,10 @@ class gitsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
                 os.remove(path)
 
     def archive(self, ui, archiver, prefix, match=None):
+        total = 0
         source, revision = self._state
         if not revision:
-            return
+            return total
         self._fetch(source, revision)
 
         # Parse git's native archive command.
@@ -1406,9 +1409,11 @@ class gitsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
                 data = tar.extractfile(info).read()
             archiver.addfile(os.path.join(prefix, self._path, info.name),
                              info.mode, info.issym(), data)
+            total += 1
             ui.progress(_('archiving (%s)') % relpath, i + 1,
                         unit=_('files'))
         ui.progress(_('archiving (%s)') % relpath, None)
+        return total
 
 
     @annotatesubrepoerror
diff --git a/tests/test-archive.t b/tests/test-archive.t
--- a/tests/test-archive.t
+++ b/tests/test-archive.t
@@ -289,6 +289,16 @@ old file -- date clamped to 1980
   *-----* (glob)
   \s*147\s+2 files (re)
 
+show an error when a provided pattern matches no files
+
+  $ hg archive -I file_that_does_not_exist.foo ../empty.zip
+  abort: no files match the archive pattern
+  [255]
+
+  $ hg archive -X * ../empty.zip
+  abort: no files match the archive pattern
+  [255]
+
   $ cd ..
 
 issue3600: check whether "hg archive" can create archive files which