diff --git a/src/Task.cpp b/src/Task.cpp
index 635d9a04f..9e1309a65 100644
--- a/src/Task.cpp
+++ b/src/Task.cpp
@@ -801,6 +801,11 @@ void Task::addDependency (const std::string& uuid)
   if (uuid == get ("uuid"))
     throw std::string (STRING_TASK_DEPEND_ITSELF);
 
+  // Check that uuid is resolvable.
+  int id = context.tdb2.pending.id (uuid);
+  if (id == 0)
+    throw format (STRING_TASK_DEPEND_MISS_CREA, id);
+
   // Store the dependency.
   std::string depends = get ("depends");
   if (depends != "")
@@ -837,6 +842,8 @@ void Task::removeDependency (const std::string& uuid)
     set ("depends", combined);
     recalc_urgency = true;
   }
+  else
+    throw format (STRING_TASK_DEPEND_MISS_DEL, uuid);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/test/dependencies.t b/test/dependencies.t
index ac5024765..de4aa9b8f 100755
--- a/test/dependencies.t
+++ b/test/dependencies.t
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ qx{../src/task rc:dep.rc add Two};
 
 # [2]
 my $output = qx{../src/task rc:dep.rc 1 modify dep:-2};
-like ($output, qr/Modified 0 tasks\./, 'dependencies - remove nonexistent dependency');
+like ($output, qr/Could not delete a dependency on task 2 - not found\./, 'dependencies - remove nonexistent dependency');
 
 # [3]
 $output = qx{../src/task rc:dep.rc 1 modify dep:99};