diff --git a/command/repo.go b/command/repo.go
index 8a4d1cc0e..122fe402c 100644
--- a/command/repo.go
+++ b/command/repo.go
@@ -386,20 +386,16 @@ var Confirm = func(prompt string, result *bool) error {
 
 func repoView(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	ctx := contextForCommand(cmd)
-
-	var openURL string
 	var toView ghrepo.Interface
 	if len(args) == 0 {
-		baseRepo, err := determineBaseRepo(cmd, ctx)
+		var err error
+		toView, err = determineBaseRepo(cmd, ctx)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		openURL = fmt.Sprintf("https://github.com/%s", ghrepo.FullName(baseRepo))
-		toView = baseRepo
 	} else {
 		repoArg := args[0]
 		if isURL(repoArg) {
-			openURL = repoArg
 			parsedURL, err := url.Parse(repoArg)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("did not understand argument: %w", err)
@@ -411,23 +407,19 @@ func repoView(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			}
 		} else {
 			toView = ghrepo.FromFullName(repoArg)
-			openURL = fmt.Sprintf("https://github.com/%s", repoArg)
 		}
 	}
 
 	apiClient, err := apiClientForContext(ctx)
-
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err = api.GitHubRepo(apiClient, toView)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	_, err_message := api.GitHubRepo(apiClient, toView)
-	if err_message != nil {
-		return err_message
-	}
-
+	openURL := fmt.Sprintf("https://github.com/%s", ghrepo.FullName(toView))
 	fmt.Fprintf(cmd.ErrOrStderr(), "Opening %s in your browser.\n", displayURL(openURL))
 	return utils.OpenInBrowser(openURL)
-
-	
 }
diff --git a/command/repo_test.go b/command/repo_test.go
index 3fd3357da..a3ba656c3 100644
--- a/command/repo_test.go
+++ b/command/repo_test.go
@@ -610,7 +610,6 @@ func TestRepoView(t *testing.T) {
 	eq(t, url, "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO")
 }
 
-
 func TestRepoView_ownerRepo(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := context.NewBlank()
 	ctx.SetBranch("master")