@@ -492,8 +492,11 @@ function git_clone {

     if echo $git_ref | egrep -q "^refs"; then

         # If our branch name is a gerrit style refs/changes/...

         if [[ ! -d $git_dest ]]; then

-            [[ "$ERROR_ON_CLONE" = "True" ]] && \

+            if [[ "$ERROR_ON_CLONE" = "True" ]]; then

+                echo "The $git_dest project was not found; if this is a gate job, add"

+                echo "the project to the \$PROJECTS variable in the job definition."

                 die $LINENO "Cloning not allowed in this configuration"

+            fi

             git_timed clone $git_clone_flags $git_remote $git_dest

         fi

         cd $git_dest

@@ -501,8 +504,11 @@ function git_clone {

     else

         # do a full clone only if the directory doesn't exist

         if [[ ! -d $git_dest ]]; then

-            [[ "$ERROR_ON_CLONE" = "True" ]] && \

+            if [[ "$ERROR_ON_CLONE" = "True" ]]; then

+                echo "The $git_dest project was not found; if this is a gate job, add"

+                echo "the project to the \$PROJECTS variable in the job definition."

                 die $LINENO "Cloning not allowed in this configuration"

+            fi

             git_timed clone $git_clone_flags $git_remote $git_dest

             cd $git_dest

             # This checkout syntax works for both branches and tags