diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks.go
index f267c9854..3c20f97a0 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks.go
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ func checksRun(opts *ChecksOptions) error {
 	}
 
 	if len(pr.Commits.Nodes) == 0 {
-		return nil
+		return fmt.Errorf("no commit found on the pull request")
 	}
 
 	rollup := pr.Commits.Nodes[0].Commit.StatusCheckRollup.Contexts.Nodes
 	if len(rollup) == 0 {
-		return nil
+		return fmt.Errorf("no checks reported on the '%s' branch", pr.BaseRefName)
 	}
 
 	passing := 0
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks_test.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks_test.go
index 43dbf8cda..324f8a74f 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/checks/checks_test.go
@@ -66,69 +66,59 @@ func Test_checksRun(t *testing.T) {
 		name    string
 		fixture string
 		stubs   func(*httpmock.Registry)
-		wantOut string
 		nontty  bool
-		wantErr bool
+		wantOut string
+		wantErr string
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "no commits",
 			stubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
 				reg.Register(
 					httpmock.GraphQL(`query PullRequestByNumber\b`),
-					httpmock.JSONResponse(
-						bytes.NewBufferString(`
-					{ "data": { "repository": {
-						"pullRequest": { "number": 123 }
-					} } }
-				`)))
+					httpmock.StringResponse(`
+						{ "data": { "repository": {
+							"pullRequest": { "number": 123 }
+						} } }
+					`))
 			},
+			wantOut: "",
+			wantErr: "no commit found on the pull request",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "no checks",
 			stubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
 				reg.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 				  { "data": { "repository": {
-				  	"pullRequest": { "number": 123, "commits": { "nodes": [{"commit": {"oid": "abc"}}]} }
+				  	"pullRequest": { "number": 123, "commits": { "nodes": [{"commit": {"oid": "abc"}}]}, "baseRefName": "master" }
 				  } } }
 				`))
 			},
+			wantOut: "",
+			wantErr: "no checks reported on the 'master' branch",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "some failing",
 			fixture: "./fixtures/someFailing.json",
 			wantOut: "Some checks were not successful\n1 failing, 1 successful, and 1 pending checks\n\nX  sad tests   1m26s  sweet link\n✓  cool tests  1m26s  sweet link\n-  slow tests  1m26s  sweet link\n",
-			wantErr: true,
+			wantErr: "SilentError",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "some pending",
 			fixture: "./fixtures/somePending.json",
 			wantOut: "Some checks are still pending\n0 failing, 2 successful, and 1 pending checks\n\n✓  cool tests  1m26s  sweet link\n✓  rad tests   1m26s  sweet link\n-  slow tests  1m26s  sweet link\n",
-			wantErr: true,
+			wantErr: "SilentError",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "all passing",
 			fixture: "./fixtures/allPassing.json",
 			wantOut: "All checks were successful\n0 failing, 3 successful, and 0 pending checks\n\n✓  awesome tests  1m26s  sweet link\n✓  cool tests     1m26s  sweet link\n✓  rad tests      1m26s  sweet link\n",
+			wantErr: "",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "with statuses",
 			fixture: "./fixtures/withStatuses.json",
 			wantOut: "Some checks were not successful\n1 failing, 2 successful, and 0 pending checks\n\nX  a status           sweet link\n✓  cool tests  1m26s  sweet link\n✓  rad tests   1m26s  sweet link\n",
-			wantErr: true,
-		},
-		{
-			name:   "no commits",
-			nontty: true,
-			stubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
-				reg.Register(
-					httpmock.GraphQL(`query PullRequestByNumber\b`),
-					httpmock.JSONResponse(
-						bytes.NewBufferString(`
-					{ "data": { "repository": {
-						"pullRequest": { "number": 123 }
-					} } }
-				`)))
-			},
+			wantErr: "SilentError",
 		},
 		{
 			name:   "no checks",
@@ -136,37 +126,40 @@ func Test_checksRun(t *testing.T) {
 			stubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
 				reg.StubResponse(200, bytes.NewBufferString(`
 				  { "data": { "repository": {
-						"pullRequest": { "number": 123, "commits": { "nodes": [{"commit": {"oid": "abc"}}]} }
+						"pullRequest": { "number": 123, "commits": { "nodes": [{"commit": {"oid": "abc"}}]}, "baseRefName": "master" }
 				  } } }
 				`))
 			},
+			wantOut: "",
+			wantErr: "no checks reported on the 'master' branch",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "some failing",
 			nontty:  true,
 			fixture: "./fixtures/someFailing.json",
 			wantOut: "sad tests\tfail\t1m26s\tsweet link\ncool tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\nslow tests\tpending\t1m26s\tsweet link\n",
-			wantErr: true,
+			wantErr: "SilentError",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "some pending",
 			nontty:  true,
 			fixture: "./fixtures/somePending.json",
 			wantOut: "cool tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\nrad tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\nslow tests\tpending\t1m26s\tsweet link\n",
-			wantErr: true,
+			wantErr: "SilentError",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "all passing",
 			nontty:  true,
 			fixture: "./fixtures/allPassing.json",
 			wantOut: "awesome tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\ncool tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\nrad tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\n",
+			wantErr: "",
 		},
 		{
 			name:    "with statuses",
 			nontty:  true,
 			fixture: "./fixtures/withStatuses.json",
 			wantOut: "a status\tfail\t0\tsweet link\ncool tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\nrad tests\tpass\t1m26s\tsweet link\n",
-			wantErr: true,
+			wantErr: "SilentError",
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -184,13 +177,12 @@ func Test_checksRun(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			reg := &httpmock.Registry{}
+			defer reg.Verify(t)
+
 			if tt.stubs != nil {
 				tt.stubs(reg)
 			} else if tt.fixture != "" {
-				reg.Register(
-					httpmock.GraphQL(`query PullRequestByNumber\b`), httpmock.FileResponse(tt.fixture))
-			} else {
-				panic("need either stubs or fixture key")
+				reg.Register(httpmock.GraphQL(`query PullRequestByNumber\b`), httpmock.FileResponse(tt.fixture))
 			}
 
 			opts.HttpClient = func() (*http.Client, error) {
@@ -198,14 +190,13 @@ func Test_checksRun(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			err := checksRun(opts)
-			if tt.wantErr {
-				assert.Equal(t, "SilentError", err.Error())
-			} else {
-				assert.NoError(t, err)
+			if err != nil {
+				assert.Equal(t, tt.wantErr, err.Error())
+			} else if tt.wantErr != "" {
+				t.Errorf("expected %q, got nil error", tt.wantErr)
 			}
 
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantOut, stdout.String())
-			reg.Verify(t)
 		})
 	}
 }