diff --git a/core/commands/add.go b/core/commands/add.go
index e9e3bd87d..3c2e9a074 100644
--- a/core/commands/add.go
+++ b/core/commands/add.go
@@ -1,23 +1,24 @@
 package commands
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 
-	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreunix"
-	"gx/ipfs/QmeWjRodbcZFKe5tMN7poEx3izym6osrLSnTLf9UjJZBbs/pb"
-
 	bstore "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blocks/blockstore"
 	blockservice "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/blockservice"
 	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands"
 	files "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands/files"
 	core "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core"
+	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreunix"
 	offline "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/exchange/offline"
 	dag "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag"
 	dagtest "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag/test"
 	mfs "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/mfs"
 	ft "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/unixfs"
+
 	u "gx/ipfs/QmZuY8aV7zbNXVy6DyN9SmnuH3o9nG852F4aTiSBpts8d1/go-ipfs-util"
+	"gx/ipfs/QmeWjRodbcZFKe5tMN7poEx3izym6osrLSnTLf9UjJZBbs/pb"
 )
 
 // Error indicating the max depth has been exceded.
@@ -128,6 +129,12 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
 			return
 		}
+
+		cfg, err := n.Repo.Config()
+		if err != nil {
+			res.SetError(err, cmds.ErrNormal)
+			return
+		}
 		// check if repo will exceed storage limit if added
 		// TODO: this doesn't handle the case if the hashed file is already in blocks (deduplicated)
 		// TODO: conditional GC is disabled due to it is somehow not possible to pass the size to the daemon
@@ -148,6 +155,12 @@ You can now refer to the added file in a gateway, like so:
 		nocopy, _, _ := req.Option(noCopyOptionName).Bool()
 		fscache, _, _ := req.Option(fstoreCacheOptionName).Bool()
 
+		if nocopy && !cfg.Experimental.FilestoreEnabled {
+			res.SetError(errors.New("filestore is not enabled, see https://git.io/vy4XN"),
+				cmds.ErrClient)
+			return
+		}
+
 		if nocopy && !rbset {
 			rawblks = true
 		}
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0270-filestore.sh b/test/sharness/t0270-filestore.sh
index 7ccf7fd7e..c6dff3077 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0270-filestore.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0270-filestore.sh
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ assert_repo_size_less_than() {
 
 	test_expect_success "check repo size" '
 		test "$(get_repo_size)"	-lt "$expval" ||
-			(get_repo_size && false)
+		test_fsh get_repo_size
 	'
 }
 
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ assert_repo_size_greater_than() {
 
 	test_expect_success "check repo size" '
 		test "$(get_repo_size)"	-gt "$expval" ||
-			(get_repo_size && false)
+			test_fsh get_repo_size
 	'
 }
 
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ init_ipfs_filestore() {
 
 	test_init_ipfs
 
+	test_expect_success "nocopy add errors and has right message" '
+		test_must_fail ipfs add --nocopy -r somedir 2> add_out &&
+			grep "filestore is not enabled" add_out
+	'
+
+
 	test_expect_success "enable filestore config setting" '
 		ipfs config --json Experimental.FilestoreEnabled true
 	'