diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index 21cb5288b8..8171568806 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ type Client struct {
 
 func NewClient(accessToken string, version string) *Client {
 	if accessToken == "" {
-		panic("Access token cannot be blank")
+		return nil, errors.New("No api access token available. Please login with 'flyctl auth signup' or 'flyctl auth login'")
 	}
 
 	httpClient, _ := newHTTPClient()
diff --git a/cmd/command.go b/cmd/command.go
index aac82d1f58..56b43df417 100644
--- a/cmd/command.go
+++ b/cmd/command.go
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ func requireAppName(cmd *Command) Initializer {
 		},
 		PreRun: func(ctx *cmdctx.CmdContext) error {
 			if ctx.AppName == "" {
-				return fmt.Errorf("No app specified")
+				return fmt.Errorf("No app specified. Maybe create one with 'flyctl apps create [APPNAME]'")
 			}
 
 			if ctx.AppConfig == nil {