diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
index 566307b63..2e95b3ca4 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -69,11 +68,12 @@ func NewCmdEdit(f *cmdutil.Factory, runF func(*EditOptions) error) *cobra.Comman
 func editRun(opts *EditOptions) error {
 	gistID := opts.Selector
 
-	u, err := url.Parse(opts.Selector)
-	if err == nil {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(u.Path, "/") {
-			gistID = u.Path[1:]
+	if strings.Contains(gistID, "/") {
+		id, err := shared.GistIDFromURL(gistID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
+		gistID = id
 	}
 
 	client, err := opts.HttpClient()
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go
index 95d8bae31..f285621ab 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package shared
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/cli/cli/api"
@@ -37,3 +39,20 @@ func GetGist(client *http.Client, hostname, gistID string) (*Gist, error) {
 
 	return &gist, nil
 }
+
+func GistIDFromURL(gistURL string) (string, error) {
+	u, err := url.Parse(gistURL)
+	if err == nil && strings.HasPrefix(u.Path, "/") {
+		split := strings.Split(u.Path, "/")
+
+		if len(split) > 2 {
+			return split[2], nil
+		}
+
+		if len(split) == 2 && split[1] != "" {
+			return split[1], nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("Invalid gist URL %s", u)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared_test.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0f80db690
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/shared/shared_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package shared
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func Test_GetGistIDFromURL(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		url     string
+		want    string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "url",
+			url:  "https://gist.github.com/1234",
+			want: "1234",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "url with username",
+			url:  "https://gist.github.com/octocat/1234",
+			want: "1234",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "url, specific file",
+			url:  "https://gist.github.com/1234#file-test-md",
+			want: "1234",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "invalid url",
+			url:     "https://gist.github.com",
+			wantErr: true,
+			want:    "Invalid gist URL https://gist.github.com",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			id, err := GistIDFromURL(tt.url)
+			if tt.wantErr {
+				assert.Error(t, err)
+				assert.EqualError(t, err, tt.want)
+				return
+			}
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, id)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view.go
index fecb69adb..aae6b93ba 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package view
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
-	"net/url"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -71,11 +70,12 @@ func viewRun(opts *ViewOptions) error {
 		return utils.OpenInBrowser(gistURL)
 	}
 
-	u, err := url.Parse(opts.Selector)
-	if err == nil {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(u.Path, "/") {
-			gistID = u.Path[1:]
+	if strings.Contains(gistID, "/") {
+		id, err := shared.GistIDFromURL(gistID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
+		gistID = id
 	}
 
 	client, err := opts.HttpClient()
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view_test.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view_test.go
index 0ddc33181..0ddf55f49 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view_test.go
@@ -90,11 +90,17 @@ func Test_viewRun(t *testing.T) {
 		wantErr bool
 	}{
 		{
-			name:    "no such gist",
+			name: "no such gist",
+			opts: &ViewOptions{
+				Selector: "1234",
+			},
 			wantErr: true,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "one file",
+			opts: &ViewOptions{
+				Selector: "1234",
+			},
 			gist: &shared.Gist{
 				Files: map[string]*shared.GistFile{
 					"cicada.txt": {
@@ -108,6 +114,7 @@ func Test_viewRun(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "filename selected",
 			opts: &ViewOptions{
+				Selector: "1234",
 				Filename: "cicada.txt",
 			},
 			gist: &shared.Gist{
@@ -126,6 +133,9 @@ func Test_viewRun(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name: "multiple files, no description",
+			opts: &ViewOptions{
+				Selector: "1234",
+			},
 			gist: &shared.Gist{
 				Files: map[string]*shared.GistFile{
 					"cicada.txt": {
@@ -142,6 +152,9 @@ func Test_viewRun(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			name: "multiple files, description",
+			opts: &ViewOptions{
+				Selector: "1234",
+			},
 			gist: &shared.Gist{
 				Description: "some files",
 				Files: map[string]*shared.GistFile{
@@ -160,7 +173,8 @@ func Test_viewRun(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name: "raw",
 			opts: &ViewOptions{
-				Raw: true,
+				Selector: "1234",
+				Raw:      true,
 			},
 			gist: &shared.Gist{
 				Description: "some files",
@@ -200,8 +214,6 @@ func Test_viewRun(t *testing.T) {
 		io.SetStdoutTTY(true)
 		tt.opts.IO = io
 
-		tt.opts.Selector = "1234"
-
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			err := viewRun(tt.opts)
 			if tt.wantErr {