diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index ee2922d3f..93c8f5569 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ type Repo struct {
 
 // String of the repo, e.g. owner/name
 func (r Repo) String() string {
+	if r.Owner == "" && r.Name == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
 	return r.Owner + "/" + r.Name
 }
 
diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
index 65bacd166..5defb42ee 100644
--- a/config/config_test.go
+++ b/config/config_test.go
@@ -12,8 +12,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestRepo(t *testing.T) {
-	r := Repo{Owner: "goreleaser", Name: "godownloader"}
-	assert.Equal(t, "goreleaser/godownloader", r.String(), "not equal")
+	assert.Equal(
+		t,
+		"goreleaser/godownloader",
+		Repo{Owner: "goreleaser", Name: "godownloader"}.String(),
+	)
+}
+
+func TestEmptyRepoNameAndOwner(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Empty(t, Repo{}.String())
 }
 
 func TestLoadReader(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go b/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go
index e94ee24bb..bf9df74f0 100644
--- a/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go
+++ b/pipeline/defaults/defaults.go
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func setReleaseDefaults(ctx *context.Context) error {
 	}
 	repo, err := remoteRepo()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed reading repo from git: %v", err.Error())
+		return err
 	}
 	ctx.Config.Release.GitHub = repo
 	return nil
diff --git a/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go b/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go
index 045fe8cf4..5b168ab11 100644
--- a/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/defaults/defaults_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,11 @@
 package defaults
 
 import (
-	"io/ioutil"
-	"os"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/config"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/context"
+	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/internal/testlib"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
@@ -15,6 +14,11 @@ func TestDescription(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestFillBasicData(t *testing.T) {
+	_, back := testlib.Mktmp(t)
+	defer back()
+	testlib.GitInit(t)
+	testlib.GitRemoteAdd(t, "git@github.com:goreleaser/goreleaser.git")
+
 	var ctx = &context.Context{
 		Config: config.Project{},
 	}
@@ -32,8 +36,6 @@ func TestFillBasicData(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "tar.gz", ctx.Config.Archive.Format)
 	assert.Contains(t, ctx.Config.Brew.Install, "bin.install \"goreleaser\"")
 	assert.Empty(t, ctx.Config.Dockers)
-	assert.Equal(t, ctx.Config.Brew.CommitAuthor.Name, "goreleaserbot")
-	assert.Equal(t, ctx.Config.Brew.CommitAuthor.Email, "goreleaser@carlosbecker.com")
 	assert.NotEmpty(
 		t,
 		ctx.Config.Archive.NameTemplate,
@@ -43,6 +45,10 @@ func TestFillBasicData(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestFillPartial(t *testing.T) {
+	_, back := testlib.Mktmp(t)
+	defer back()
+	testlib.GitInit(t)
+	testlib.GitRemoteAdd(t, "git@github.com:goreleaser/goreleaser.git")
 
 	var ctx = &context.Context{
 		Config: config.Project{
@@ -83,6 +89,10 @@ func TestFillPartial(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestFillSingleBuild(t *testing.T) {
+	_, back := testlib.Mktmp(t)
+	defer back()
+	testlib.GitInit(t)
+	testlib.GitRemoteAdd(t, "git@github.com:goreleaser/goreleaser.git")
 
 	var ctx = &context.Context{
 		Config: config.Project{
@@ -97,16 +107,22 @@ func TestFillSingleBuild(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestNotAGitRepo(t *testing.T) {
-	folder, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "goreleasertest")
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	previous, err := os.Getwd()
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.NoError(t, os.Chdir(folder))
-	defer func() {
-		assert.NoError(t, os.Chdir(previous))
-	}()
+	_, back := testlib.Mktmp(t)
+	defer back()
+	testlib.GitInit(t)
 	var ctx = &context.Context{
 		Config: config.Project{},
 	}
 	assert.Error(t, Pipe{}.Run(ctx))
+	assert.Empty(t, ctx.Config.Release.GitHub.String())
+}
+
+func TestGitRepoWithoutRemote(t *testing.T) {
+	_, back := testlib.Mktmp(t)
+	defer back()
+	var ctx = &context.Context{
+		Config: config.Project{},
+	}
+	assert.Error(t, Pipe{}.Run(ctx))
+	assert.Empty(t, ctx.Config.Release.GitHub.String())
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/defaults/remote.go b/pipeline/defaults/remote.go
index b89b87f83..b5fb7488d 100644
--- a/pipeline/defaults/remote.go
+++ b/pipeline/defaults/remote.go
@@ -1,19 +1,23 @@
 package defaults
 
 import (
-	"errors"
+	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/config"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 // remoteRepo gets the repo name from the Git config.
 func remoteRepo() (result config.Repo, err error) {
+	if _, err = os.Stat(".git"); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		return result, errors.Wrap(err, "current folder is not a git repository")
+	}
 	cmd := exec.Command("git", "config", "--get", "remote.origin.url")
 	bts, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
 	if err != nil {
-		return result, errors.New(err.Error() + ": " + string(bts))
+		return result, errors.Wrap(err, "repository doesn't have an `origin` remote")
 	}
 	return extractRepoFromURL(string(bts)), nil
 }
diff --git a/pipeline/defaults/remote_test.go b/pipeline/defaults/remote_test.go
index 297ad9b76..4ecd8bcf2 100644
--- a/pipeline/defaults/remote_test.go
+++ b/pipeline/defaults/remote_test.go
@@ -3,10 +3,16 @@ package defaults
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/internal/testlib"
+
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 func TestRepoName(t *testing.T) {
+	_, back := testlib.Mktmp(t)
+	defer back()
+	testlib.GitInit(t)
+	testlib.GitRemoteAdd(t, "git@github.com:goreleaser/goreleaser.git")
 	repo, err := remoteRepo()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, "goreleaser/goreleaser", repo.String())
diff --git a/pipeline/git/git.go b/pipeline/git/git.go
index 4549b26e1..c0b5df6ff 100644
--- a/pipeline/git/git.go
+++ b/pipeline/git/git.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/context"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/internal/git"
 	"github.com/goreleaser/goreleaser/pipeline"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
 
 // Pipe for brew deployment
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ func setVersion(ctx *context.Context, tag, commit string) (err error) {
 	if ctx.Snapshot {
 		snapshotName, err := getSnapshotName(ctx, tag, commit)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to generate snapshot name: %s", err.Error())
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to generate snapshot name")
 		}
 		ctx.Version = snapshotName
 		return nil