diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
index 554e9363d..3f03cf854 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/view/view.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/view/view.go
index 919b0d090..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"
 
@@ -72,16 +71,11 @@ func viewRun(opts *ViewOptions) error {
 	}
 
 	if strings.Contains(gistID, "/") {
-		u, err := url.Parse(opts.Selector)
-		if err == nil && strings.HasPrefix(u.Path, "/") {
-			split := strings.Split(u.Path, "/")
-
-			if len(split) > 2 && split[2] != "" {
-				gistID = strings.Split(u.Path, "/")[2]
-			} else {
-				return fmt.Errorf("Invalid gist URL %s", u)
-			}
+		id, err := shared.GistIDFromURL(gistID)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
+		gistID = id
 	}
 
 	client, err := opts.HttpClient()