diff --git a/mpcdf_push.py b/mpcdf_push.py
index d93ec24646f299a1756f3f36f6ed25aaa23cbc3f..c292b92725c4eee5ab28b45739185af25a053ba3 100644
--- a/mpcdf_push.py
+++ b/mpcdf_push.py
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ def do_mpcdf_push(self, subcmd, opts, *args):
         else:
             raise e
 
+    if not mpcdf_common.has_attribute(api_url, from_project, package, "MPCDF:enable_repositories"):
+        print("ERROR: Package is unmanaged.\n"
+              "Configure the enabled repositories first, with `osc mpcdf_enable_repositories`", file=sys.stderr)
+        raise SystemExit(1)
+
     req_id = osc.core.create_submit_request(api_url, from_project, package, dst_project=to_project,
                                             message="Update {0} from {1}".format(package, from_project) if not opts.message else opts.message)
     print("Submitted package {0} to {1} in request {2}".format(package, to_project, req_id))