diff --git a/pubs/commands/remove_cmd.py b/pubs/commands/remove_cmd.py
index ec39f48..d18f185 100644
--- a/pubs/commands/remove_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/commands/remove_cmd.py
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 from .. import repo
 from .. import color
 from ..uis import get_ui
-
+from ..utils import resolve_citekey_list
 
 def parser(subparsers):
-    parser = subparsers.add_parser('remove', help='removes a paper')
+    parser = subparsers.add_parser('remove', help='removes a publication')
     parser.add_argument('-f', '--force', action='store_true', default=None,
                         help="does not prompt for confirmation.")
-    parser.add_argument('citekeys', nargs='*',
+    parser.add_argument('citekeys', nargs='+',
                         help="one or several citekeys")
     return parser
 
@@ -18,15 +18,23 @@ def command(conf, args):
     force = args.force
     rp = repo.Repository(conf)
 
+    keys = resolve_citekey_list(repo=rp, citekeys=args.citekeys, ui=ui, exit_on_fail=True)
+
     if force is None:
-        are_you_sure = (("Are you sure you want to delete paper(s) [{}]"
+        are_you_sure = (("Are you sure you want to delete the publication(s) [{}]"
             " (this will also delete associated documents)?")
             .format(', '.join([color.dye_out(c, 'citekey') for c in args.citekeys])))
         sure = ui.input_yn(question=are_you_sure, default='n')
     if force or sure:
-        for c in args.citekeys:
-            rp.remove_paper(c)
-            ui.message('The paper(s) [{}] were removed'.format(', '.join([color.dye_out(c, 'citekey') for c in args.citekeys])))
-            # FIXME: print should check that removal proceeded well.
+        for c in keys:
+            try:
+                rp.remove_paper(c)
+            except Exception as e:
+                ui.error(e.message)
+        ui.message('The publication(s) [{}] were removed'.format(
+            ', '.join([color.dye_out(c, 'citekey') for c in keys])))
+        # FIXME: print should check that removal proceeded well.
     else:
-        ui.message('The paper(s) [{}] were *not* removed'.format(', '.join([color.dye_out(c, 'citekey') for c in args.citekeys])))
+        ui.message('The publication(s) [{}] were {} removed'.format(
+            ', '.join([color.dye_out(c, 'citekey') for c in keys]),
+            color.dye_out('not','bold')))
diff --git a/pubs/commands/rename_cmd.py b/pubs/commands/rename_cmd.py
index bc2df2d..d832980 100644
--- a/pubs/commands/rename_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/commands/rename_cmd.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 from ..uis import get_ui
-from .. import bibstruct
-from .. import content
 from .. import repo
-from .. import paper
+from ..utils import resolve_citekey
 
 def parser(subparsers):
     parser = subparsers.add_parser('rename', help='rename the citekey of a repository')
@@ -22,5 +20,10 @@ def command(conf, args):
     ui = get_ui()
     rp = repo.Repository(conf)
 
-    paper = rp.pull_paper(args.citekey)
-    rp.rename_paper(paper, args.new_citekey)
+    # TODO: here should be a test whether the new citekey is valid
+    try:
+        key = resolve_citekey(repo=rp, citekey=args.citekey, ui=ui, exit_on_fail=True)
+        paper = rp.pull_paper(key)
+        rp.rename_paper(paper, args.new_citekey)
+    except Exception as e:
+        ui.error(e.message)
\ No newline at end of file