diff --git a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go
index 5a8ff82a6c..ac535ffa30 100644
--- a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go
+++ b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/merge.go
@@ -302,6 +302,7 @@ func constructInterpolatedDoltMergeQuery(apr *argparser.ArgParseResults, cliCtx
 
 // printMergeStats calculates and prints all merge stats and information.
 func printMergeStats(result []sql.Row, apr *argparser.ArgParseResults, queryist cli.Queryist, sqlCtx *sql.Context, usage cli.UsagePrinter, headHash, mergeHash, fromRef, toRef string) int {
+	// dolt_merge returns hash, fast_forward, conflicts and dolt_pull returns fast_forward, conflicts
 	fastForward := false
 	if result != nil && len(result) > 0 {
 		ffIndex := 0
diff --git a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/pull.go b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/pull.go
index 74bc56cd3d..6f6a80d65f 100644
--- a/go/cmd/dolt/commands/pull.go
+++ b/go/cmd/dolt/commands/pull.go
@@ -290,6 +290,10 @@ func getRemoteHashForPull(apr *argparser.ArgParseResults, sqlCtx *sql.Context, q
 		branch = apr.Args[1]
 	}
 
+	if remote == "" || branch == "" {
+		return "", "", errors.New("pull finished successfully but remote and/or branch provided is empty")
+	}
+
 	remoteHash, err = getHashOf(queryist, sqlCtx, remote+"/"+branch)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", err