diff --git a/cmd/helm/package.go b/cmd/helm/package.go
index dd4bb2d17..4076128c1 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/package.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/package.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -75,6 +76,10 @@ func newPackageCmd(out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
+				if _, err := os.Stat(path); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+					_, err := os.Stat(args[i])
+					return err
+				}
 
 				if client.DependencyUpdate {
 					downloadManager := &downloader.Manager{
diff --git a/cmd/helm/package_test.go b/cmd/helm/package_test.go
index 739857fa9..8f38a239c 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/package_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/package_test.go
@@ -296,6 +296,40 @@ func TestPackageValues(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNonExistentDir(t *testing.T) {
+	nonExistentDir := "testdata/testcharts/non-existent-directory"
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		flags   map[string]string
+		args    []string
+		expect  string
+		hasfile string
+		err     bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "package testdata/testcharts/non-existent-directory",
+			args:   []string{"testdata/testcharts/non-existent-directory"},
+			expect: fmt.Sprintf("stat %s: no such file or directory", nonExistentDir),
+			err:    true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var buf bytes.Buffer
+			c := newPackageCmd(&buf)
+			re := regexp.MustCompile(tt.expect)
+			err := c.RunE(c, tt.args)
+			if err != nil {
+				if tt.err && re.MatchString(err.Error()) {
+					return
+				}
+				t.Fatalf("%q: expected error %q, got %q", tt.name, tt.expect, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func createValuesFile(t *testing.T, data string) string {
 	outputDir := ensure.TempDir(t)
 
diff --git a/pkg/chart/loader/load_test.go b/pkg/chart/loader/load_test.go
index 59c0a150f..6576002eb 100644
--- a/pkg/chart/loader/load_test.go
+++ b/pkg/chart/loader/load_test.go
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ icon: https://example.com/64x64.png
 	if _, err = LoadFiles([]*BufferedFile{}); err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("Expected err to be non-nil")
 	}
-	if err.Error() != "validation: No such Chart found" {
+	if err.Error() != "validation: chart.metadata is required" {
 		t.Errorf("Expected chart metadata missing error, got '%s'", err.Error())
 	}
 }
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ func TestLoadInvalidArchive(t *testing.T) {
 		{"illegal-name.tgz", "./.", "chart illegally contains content outside the base directory"},
 		{"illegal-name2.tgz", "/./.", "chart illegally contains content outside the base directory"},
 		{"illegal-name3.tgz", "missing-leading-slash", "chart illegally contains content outside the base directory"},
-		{"illegal-name4.tgz", "/missing-leading-slash", "validation: No such Chart found"},
+		{"illegal-name4.tgz", "/missing-leading-slash", "validation: chart.metadata is required"},
 		{"illegal-abspath.tgz", "//foo", "chart illegally contains absolute paths"},
 		{"illegal-abspath2.tgz", "///foo", "chart illegally contains absolute paths"},
 		{"illegal-abspath3.tgz", "\\\\foo", "chart illegally contains absolute paths"},
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ func TestLoadInvalidArchive(t *testing.T) {
 	illegalChart = filepath.Join(tmpdir, "abs-path2.tgz")
 	writeTar(illegalChart, "files/whatever.yaml", []byte("hello: world"))
 	_, err = Load(illegalChart)
-	if err.Error() != "validation: No such Chart found" {
+	if err.Error() != "validation: chart.metadata is required" {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/chart/metadata.go b/pkg/chart/metadata.go
index 5d5207d10..96a3965b9 100644
--- a/pkg/chart/metadata.go
+++ b/pkg/chart/metadata.go
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ type Metadata struct {
 // Validate checks the metadata for known issues, returning an error if metadata is not correct
 func (md *Metadata) Validate() error {
 	if md == nil {
-		return ValidationError("No such Chart found")
+		return ValidationError("chart.metadata is required")
 	}
 	if md.APIVersion == "" {
 		return ValidationError("chart.metadata.apiVersion is required")
diff --git a/pkg/chart/metadata_test.go b/pkg/chart/metadata_test.go
deleted file mode 100755
index db4524c07..000000000
--- a/pkg/chart/metadata_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-/*
-Copyright The Helm Authors.
-Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-You may obtain a copy of the License at
-
-http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-
-Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-limitations under the License.
-*/
-
-package chart
-
-import "testing"
-
-func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
-	var metadata *Metadata = nil
-	error := metadata.Validate()
-	errorMessage := "validation: No such Chart found"
-	if error.Error() != errorMessage {
-		t.Errorf("The error message is other than '%s'", errorMessage)
-	}
-}