diff --git a/command/issue.go b/command/issue.go
index 34648c29d..958bcb9bd 100644
--- a/command/issue.go
+++ b/command/issue.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/github/gh-cli/utils"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -102,14 +103,22 @@ func issueList(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	out := cmd.OutOrStdout()
-	colorOut := colorableOut(cmd)
-
 	if len(issues) == 0 {
-		printMessage(colorOut, "There are no open issues")
+		colorErr := colorableErr(cmd) // Send to stderr because otherwise when piping this command it would seem like the "no open issues" message is acually an issue
+		msg := "There are no open issues"
+
+		userSetFlags := false
+		cmd.Flags().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
+			userSetFlags = f.Changed || userSetFlags
+		})
+		if userSetFlags {
+			msg = "No issues match your search"
+		}
+		printMessage(colorErr, msg)
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	out := cmd.OutOrStdout()
 	table := utils.NewTablePrinter(out)
 	for _, issue := range issues {
 		issueNum := strconv.Itoa(issue.Number)
diff --git a/command/pr.go b/command/pr.go
index 1777e963c..e72b73024 100644
--- a/command/pr.go
+++ b/command/pr.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/github/gh-cli/git"
 	"github.com/github/gh-cli/utils"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -185,6 +186,21 @@ func prList(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if len(prs) == 0 {
+		colorErr := colorableErr(cmd) // Send to stderr because otherwise when piping this command it would seem like the "no open prs" message is acually a pr
+		msg := "There are no open pull requests"
+
+		userSetFlags := false
+		cmd.Flags().VisitAll(func(f *pflag.Flag) {
+			userSetFlags = f.Changed || userSetFlags
+		})
+		if userSetFlags {
+			msg = "No pull requests match your search"
+		}
+		printMessage(colorErr, msg)
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	table := utils.NewTablePrinter(cmd.OutOrStdout())
 	for _, pr := range prs {
 		prNum := strconv.Itoa(pr.Number)
diff --git a/command/root.go b/command/root.go
index 33a8c4aa5..c925285ed 100644
--- a/command/root.go
+++ b/command/root.go
@@ -117,3 +117,11 @@ func colorableOut(cmd *cobra.Command) io.Writer {
 	}
 	return out
 }
+
+func colorableErr(cmd *cobra.Command) io.Writer {
+	err := cmd.ErrOrStderr()
+	if outFile, isFile := err.(*os.File); isFile {
+		return utils.NewColorable(outFile)
+	}
+	return err
+}