diff --git a/command/pr_create.go b/command/pr_create.go
index dd747f41d..ca7800a19 100644
--- a/command/pr_create.go
+++ b/command/pr_create.go
@@ -123,10 +123,26 @@ func prCreate(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
 		if defaultsErr != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not compute title or body defaults: %w", defaultsErr)
 		}
-		action = SubmitAction
 		title = defs.Title
 		body = defs.Body
-	} else {
+	}
+
+	if !isWeb {
+		headBranchLabel := headBranch
+		if headRepo != nil && !ghrepo.IsSame(baseRepo, headRepo) {
+			headBranchLabel = fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", headRepo.RepoOwner(), headBranch)
+		}
+		existingPR, err := api.PullRequestForBranch(client, baseRepo, headBranchLabel)
+		var notFound *api.NotFoundError
+		if err != nil && !errors.As(err, &notFound) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error checking for existing pull request: %w", err)
+		}
+		if err == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("a pull request for branch %q already exists:\n%s", headBranchLabel, existingPR.URL)
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !isWeb && !autofill {
 		fmt.Fprintf(colorableErr(cmd), "\nCreating pull request for %s into %s in %s\n\n",
 			utils.Cyan(headBranch),
 			utils.Cyan(baseBranch),
diff --git a/command/pr_create_test.go b/command/pr_create_test.go
index 2bae80751..688dfd9c8 100644
--- a/command/pr_create_test.go
+++ b/command/pr_create_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ func TestPRCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "feature")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes" : [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
 	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 		{ "data": { "createPullRequest": { "pullRequest": {
 			"URL": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12"
@@ -30,7 +34,7 @@ func TestPRCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	output, err := RunCommand(prCreateCmd, `pr create -t "my title" -b "my body"`)
 	eq(t, err, nil)
 
-	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[1].Body)
+	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[2].Body)
 	reqBody := struct {
 		Variables struct {
 			Input struct {
@@ -53,6 +57,32 @@ func TestPRCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	eq(t, output.String(), "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12\n")
 }
 
+func TestPRCreate_alreadyExists(t *testing.T) {
+	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "feature")
+	http := initFakeHTTP()
+	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes": [
+			{ "url": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/123",
+			  "headRefName": "feature" }
+		] } } } }
+	`))
+
+	cs, cmdTeardown := initCmdStubber()
+	defer cmdTeardown()
+
+	cs.Stub("")                                         // git status
+	cs.Stub("1234567890,commit 0\n2345678901,commit 1") // git log
+
+	_, err := RunCommand(prCreateCmd, `pr create`)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("error expected, got nil")
+	}
+	if err.Error() != "a pull request for branch \"feature\" already exists:\nhttps://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/123" {
+		t.Errorf("got error %q", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPRCreate_web(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "feature")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
@@ -83,6 +113,10 @@ func TestPRCreate_ReportsUncommittedChanges(t *testing.T) {
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes" : [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
 	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 		{ "data": { "createPullRequest": { "pullRequest": {
 			"URL": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12"
@@ -149,6 +183,10 @@ func TestPRCreate_cross_repo_same_branch(t *testing.T) {
 									"viewerPermission": "WRITE"
 		} } }
 	`))
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes" : [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
 	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 		{ "data": { "createPullRequest": { "pullRequest": {
 			"URL": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12"
@@ -165,7 +203,7 @@ func TestPRCreate_cross_repo_same_branch(t *testing.T) {
 	output, err := RunCommand(prCreateCmd, `pr create -t "cross repo" -b "same branch"`)
 	eq(t, err, nil)
 
-	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[1].Body)
+	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[2].Body)
 	reqBody := struct {
 		Variables struct {
 			Input struct {
@@ -194,6 +232,10 @@ func TestPRCreate_survey_defaults_multicommit(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "cool_bug-fixes")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes" : [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
 	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 		{ "data": { "createPullRequest": { "pullRequest": {
 			"URL": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12"
@@ -231,7 +273,7 @@ func TestPRCreate_survey_defaults_multicommit(t *testing.T) {
 	output, err := RunCommand(prCreateCmd, `pr create`)
 	eq(t, err, nil)
 
-	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[1].Body)
+	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[2].Body)
 	reqBody := struct {
 		Variables struct {
 			Input struct {
@@ -260,6 +302,10 @@ func TestPRCreate_survey_defaults_monocommit(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "feature")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes" : [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
 	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 		{ "data": { "createPullRequest": { "pullRequest": {
 			"URL": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12"
@@ -298,7 +344,7 @@ func TestPRCreate_survey_defaults_monocommit(t *testing.T) {
 	output, err := RunCommand(prCreateCmd, `pr create`)
 	eq(t, err, nil)
 
-	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[1].Body)
+	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[2].Body)
 	reqBody := struct {
 		Variables struct {
 			Input struct {
@@ -327,6 +373,10 @@ func TestPRCreate_survey_autofill(t *testing.T) {
 	initBlankContext("OWNER/REPO", "feature")
 	http := initFakeHTTP()
 	http.StubRepoResponse("OWNER", "REPO")
+	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
+		{ "data": { "repository": { "pullRequests": { "nodes" : [
+		] } } } }
+	`))
 	http.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 		{ "data": { "createPullRequest": { "pullRequest": {
 			"URL": "https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/12"
@@ -346,7 +396,7 @@ func TestPRCreate_survey_autofill(t *testing.T) {
 	output, err := RunCommand(prCreateCmd, `pr create -f`)
 	eq(t, err, nil)
 
-	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[1].Body)
+	bodyBytes, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(http.Requests[2].Body)
 	reqBody := struct {
 		Variables struct {
 			Input struct {