match = prefix_path_gently(prefix, prefixlen,
&prefixlen, copyfrom);
if (!match) {
- const char *hint_path = get_git_work_tree();
+ const char *hint_path;
+
+ if (!have_git_dir())
+ die(_("'%s' is outside the directory tree"),
+ copyfrom);
+ hint_path = get_git_work_tree();
if (!hint_path)
hint_path = get_git_dir();
die(_("%s: '%s' is outside repository at '%s'"), elt,