--- a/mercurial/commands.py	Mon Feb 24 22:42:14 2014 +0100
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py	Tue Feb 25 04:11:11 2014 +0530
@@ -4620,7 +4620,15 @@
     dest, branches = hg.parseurl(dest, opts.get('branch'))
     ui.status(_('pushing to %s\n') % util.hidepassword(dest))
     revs, checkout = hg.addbranchrevs(repo, repo, branches, opts.get('rev'))
-    other = hg.peer(repo, opts, dest)
+    try:
+        other = hg.peer(repo, opts, dest)
+    except error.RepoError:
+        if dest == "default-push":
+            raise util.Abort(_("default repository not configured!"),
+                    hint=_('see the "path" section in "hg help config"'))
+        else:
+            raise
+
     if revs:
         revs = [repo.lookup(r) for r in scmutil.revrange(repo, revs)]
 

--- a/tests/test-default-push.t	Mon Feb 24 22:42:14 2014 +0100
+++ b/tests/test-default-push.t	Tue Feb 25 04:11:11 2014 +0530
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@
   $ echo b >> b/a
   $ hg --cwd b ci -mb
 
+Push should provide a hint when both 'default' and 'default-push' not set:
+  $ cd c
+  $ hg push --config paths.default=
+  pushing to default-push
+  abort: default repository not configured!
+  (see the "path" section in "hg help config")
+  [255]
+
+  $ cd ..
+
 Push should push to 'default' when 'default-push' not set:
 
   $ hg --cwd b push