diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ def archive(ui, repo, dest, **opts):
 
     ctx = repo[opts.get('rev')]
     if not ctx:
-        raise util.Abort(_('repository has no revisions'))
+        raise util.Abort(_('no working directory: please specify a revision'))
     node = ctx.node()
     dest = cmdutil.make_filename(repo, dest, node)
     if os.path.realpath(dest) == repo.root:
diff --git a/tests/test-archive.out b/tests/test-archive.out
--- a/tests/test-archive.out
+++ b/tests/test-archive.out
@@ -60,4 +60,4 @@ rev-0.tar created
 abort: unknown archive type 'bogus'
 % server errors
 % empty repo
-abort: repository has no revisions
+abort: no working directory: please specify a revision