diff --git a/bzr.go b/bzr.go
index 5c9f1ce..2b0130c 100644
--- a/bzr.go
+++ b/bzr.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ func NewBzrRepo(remote, local string) (*BzrRepo, error) {
 
 		// If no remote was passed in but one is configured for the locally
 		// checked out Bzr repo use that one.
-		if m[1] != "" {
+		if m != nil && m[1] != "" {
 			r.setRemote(m[1])
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/hg.go b/hg.go
index 75a26f5..0e28ec7 100644
--- a/hg.go
+++ b/hg.go
@@ -46,14 +46,16 @@ func NewHgRepo(remote, local string) (*HgRepo, error) {
 		}
 
 		m := hgDetectURL.FindStringSubmatch(string(out))
-		if remote != "" && m[1] != remote {
-			return nil, ErrWrongRemote
-		}
-
-		// If no remote was passed in but one is configured for the locally
-		// checked out Hg repo use that one.
-		if remote == "" && m[1] != "" {
-			r.setRemote(m[1])
+		if m != nil {
+			if remote != "" && m[1] != remote {
+				return nil, ErrWrongRemote
+			}
+
+			// If no remote was passed in but one is configured for the locally
+			// checked out Hg repo use that one.
+			if remote == "" && m[1] != "" {
+				r.setRemote(m[1])
+			}
 		}
 	}