diff --git a/pubs/commands/statistics_cmd.py b/pubs/commands/statistics_cmd.py
index 5132010..e3b6583 100644
--- a/pubs/commands/statistics_cmd.py
+++ b/pubs/commands/statistics_cmd.py
@@ -16,18 +16,22 @@ def command(conf, args):
     papers = list(rp.all_papers())
 
     paper_count = len(papers)
-    doc_count = sum([0 if p.docpath is None else 1 for p in papers])
-    tag_count = len(list(rp.get_tags()))
-    papers_with_tags = sum([0 if p.tags else 1 for p in papers])
+    if paper_count == 0:
+        ui.message('Your pubs repository is empty.')
 
-    ui.message(color.dye_out('Repository statistics:', 'bold'))
-    ui.message('Total papers: {}, {} ({}) have a document attached'.format(
-        color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(paper_count), 'bgreen'),
-        color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(doc_count), 'bold'),
-        '{:.0f}%'.format(100. * doc_count / paper_count),
-    ))
-    ui.message('Total tags: {}, {} ({}) of papers have at least one tag'.format(
-        color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(tag_count), 'bgreen'),
-        color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(papers_with_tags), 'bold'),
-        '{:.0f}%'.format(100. * papers_with_tags / paper_count),
-    ))
+    else:
+        doc_count = sum([0 if p.docpath is None else 1 for p in papers])
+        tag_count = len(list(rp.get_tags()))
+        papers_with_tags = sum([0 if p.tags else 1 for p in papers])
+
+        ui.message(color.dye_out('Repository statistics:', 'bold'))
+        ui.message('Total papers: {}, {} ({}) have a document attached'.format(
+            color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(paper_count), 'bgreen'),
+            color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(doc_count), 'bold'),
+            '{:.0f}%'.format(100. * doc_count / paper_count),
+        ))
+        ui.message('Total tags: {}, {} ({}) of papers have at least one tag'.format(
+            color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(tag_count), 'bgreen'),
+            color.dye_out('{:d}'.format(papers_with_tags), 'bold'),
+            '{:.0f}%'.format(100. * papers_with_tags / paper_count),
+        ))
diff --git a/tests/test_usecase.py b/tests/test_usecase.py
index 62ce138..43083cd 100644
--- a/tests/test_usecase.py
+++ b/tests/test_usecase.py
@@ -984,6 +984,7 @@ class TestUsecase(DataCommandTestCase):
 
     def test_statistics(self):
         cmds = ['pubs init',
+                'pubs statistics',
                 'pubs add data/pagerank.bib',
                 'pubs add -d data/turing-mind-1950.pdf data/turing1950.bib',
                 'pubs add data/martius.bib',
@@ -993,6 +994,8 @@ class TestUsecase(DataCommandTestCase):
                 'pubs statistics',
                 ]
         out = self.execute_cmds(cmds)
+        lines = out[1].splitlines()
+        self.assertEqual(lines[0], 'Your pubs repository is empty.')
         lines = out[-1].splitlines()
         self.assertEqual(lines[0], 'Repository statistics:')
         self.assertEqual(lines[1], 'Total papers: 4, 1 (25%) have a document attached')