diff --git a/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go b/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
index 9c47b166011eb3235f5ec93525f778cf2dcbd559..d35a3525c5ccd1bba27cf64e8e7bb18cdb7faeaa 100644
--- a/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
+++ b/repo/fsrepo/fsrepo.go
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ type NoRepoError struct {
 var _ error = NoRepoError{}
 
 func (err NoRepoError) Error() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("no ipfs repo found in %s. please run: ipfs init", err.Path)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("no ipfs repo found in %s.\nplease run: ipfs init", err.Path)
 }
 
 const (
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0020-init.sh b/test/sharness/t0020-init.sh
index 331fb78127f9e1769c1b960f059373dbfc33c972..53141286f5787a663863ce5a77a2dafe726cc2cf 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0020-init.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0020-init.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ test_expect_success "ipfs cat fails" '
 '
 
 test_expect_success "ipfs cat no repo message looks good" '
-    echo "Error: no ipfs repo found in $IPFS_PATH. please run: ipfs init" > cat_fail_exp &&
+    echo "Error: no ipfs repo found in $IPFS_PATH." > cat_fail_exp &&
+    echo "please run: ipfs init" >> cat_fail_exp &&
     test_cmp cat_fail_exp cat_fail_out
 '