diff --git a/build-libbitcoind.sh b/build-libbitcoind.sh
index c53ea7a5..e4f514a7 100755
--- a/build-libbitcoind.sh
+++ b/build-libbitcoind.sh
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ fi
 
 cd "$btc_dir" || exit 1
 
+if ! test -d .git; then
+  echo 'Please point this script to an upstream bitcoin git repo.'
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 ./autogen.sh || exit 1
 if test -n "$1"; then
   ./configure --enable-daemonlib --with-incompatible-bdb "$@" || exit 1
diff --git a/patch-bitcoin.sh b/patch-bitcoin.sh
index efa92966..71f7a343 100755
--- a/patch-bitcoin.sh
+++ b/patch-bitcoin.sh
@@ -5,22 +5,23 @@ patch_file="$(pwd)/libbitcoind.patch"
 
 cd "$dir" || exit 1
 
-if test -e .git; then
-  git checkout 4383319e4e0cb96818d2be734f7280181daac9fa
-  if test $? -ne 0; then
-    echo 'Unable to checkout necessary commit.'
-    echo 'Please pull the latest HEAD from the upstream bitcoin repo.'
-    exit 1
-  fi
-  git checkout -b "libbitcoind-$(date '+%Y.%m.%d')" || exit 1
+if ! test -d .git; then
+  echo 'Please point this script to an upstream bitcoin git repo.'
+  exit 1
 fi
 
+git checkout 4383319e4e0cb96818d2be734f7280181daac9fa
+if test $? -ne 0; then
+  echo 'Unable to checkout necessary commit.'
+  echo 'Please pull the latest HEAD from the upstream bitcoin repo.'
+  exit 1
+fi
+git checkout -b "libbitcoind-$(date '+%Y.%m.%d')" || exit 1
+
 patch -p1 < "$patch_file" || exit 1
 
-if test -e .git; then
-  git add --all || exit 1
-  git commit -a -m 'allow compiling of libbitcoind.so.' || exit 1
-fi
+git add --all || exit 1
+git commit -a -m 'allow compiling of libbitcoind.so.' || exit 1
 
 echo 'Patch completed successfully.'
 exit 0