@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ import (

 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"

+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/fields"

 	kcmdutil "github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util"

+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/labels"

 	"github.com/openshift/origin/pkg/client"

 	cliconfig "github.com/openshift/origin/pkg/cmd/cli/config"

@@ -93,6 +95,12 @@ func (o *NewProjectOptions) complete(cmd *cobra.Command, f *clientcmd.Factory) e

 }

 func (o *NewProjectOptions) Run() error {

+	// TODO eliminate this when we get better forbidden messages

+	_, err := o.Client.ProjectRequests().List(labels.Everything(), fields.Everything())

+	if err != nil {

+		return err

+	}

+

 	projectRequest := &projectapi.ProjectRequest{}

 	projectRequest.Name = o.ProjectName

 	projectRequest.DisplayName = o.DisplayName