diff --git a/builtin/add.c b/builtin/add.c
index 2705f8d057..87d2980313 100644
--- a/builtin/add.c
+++ b/builtin/add.c
@@ -117,7 +117,19 @@ static void fill_pathspec_matches(const char **pathspec, char *seen, int specs)
 	}
 }
 
-static void prune_directory(struct dir_struct *dir, const char **pathspec, int prefix)
+static char *find_used_pathspec(const char **pathspec)
+{
+	char *seen;
+	int i;
+
+	for (i = 0; pathspec[i];  i++)
+		; /* just counting */
+	seen = xcalloc(i, 1);
+	fill_pathspec_matches(pathspec, seen, i);
+	return seen;
+}
+
+static char *prune_directory(struct dir_struct *dir, const char **pathspec, int prefix)
 {
 	char *seen;
 	int i, specs;
@@ -137,13 +149,7 @@ static void prune_directory(struct dir_struct *dir, const char **pathspec, int p
 	}
 	dir->nr = dst - dir->entries;
 	fill_pathspec_matches(pathspec, seen, specs);
-
-	for (i = 0; i < specs; i++) {
-		if (!seen[i] && pathspec[i][0] && !file_exists(pathspec[i]))
-			die("pathspec '%s' did not match any files",
-					pathspec[i]);
-	}
-        free(seen);
+	return seen;
 }
 
 static void treat_gitlinks(const char **pathspec)
@@ -359,6 +365,7 @@ int cmd_add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int flags;
 	int add_new_files;
 	int require_pathspec;
+	char *seen = NULL;
 
 	git_config(add_config, NULL);
 
@@ -418,7 +425,7 @@ int cmd_add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		/* This picks up the paths that are not tracked */
 		baselen = fill_directory(&dir, pathspec);
 		if (pathspec)
-			prune_directory(&dir, pathspec, baselen);
+			seen = prune_directory(&dir, pathspec, baselen);
 	}
 
 	if (refresh_only) {
@@ -426,6 +433,19 @@ int cmd_add(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		goto finish;
 	}
 
+	if (pathspec) {
+		int i;
+		if (!seen)
+			seen = find_used_pathspec(pathspec);
+		for (i = 0; pathspec[i]; i++) {
+			if (!seen[i] && pathspec[i][0]
+			    && !file_exists(pathspec[i]))
+				die("pathspec '%s' did not match any files",
+				    pathspec[i]);
+		}
+		free(seen);
+	}
+
 	exit_status |= add_files_to_cache(prefix, pathspec, flags);
 
 	if (add_new_files)
diff --git a/t/t2200-add-update.sh b/t/t2200-add-update.sh
index 912075063b..2ad2819a34 100755
--- a/t/t2200-add-update.sh
+++ b/t/t2200-add-update.sh
@@ -176,4 +176,9 @@ test_expect_success 'add -u resolves unmerged paths' '
 
 '
 
+test_expect_success '"add -u non-existent" should fail' '
+	test_must_fail git add -u non-existent &&
+	! (git ls-files | grep "non-existent")
+'
+
 test_done
diff --git a/t/t3700-add.sh b/t/t3700-add.sh
index 85eb0fbf96..525c9a8fdf 100755
--- a/t/t3700-add.sh
+++ b/t/t3700-add.sh
@@ -255,4 +255,9 @@ test_expect_success 'git add to resolve conflicts on otherwise ignored path' '
 	git add track-this
 '
 
+test_expect_success '"add non-existent" should fail' '
+	test_must_fail git add non-existent &&
+	! (git ls-files | grep "non-existent")
+'
+
 test_done