diff --git a/src/remote.c b/src/remote.c
index a30841427..6a1390dba 100644
--- a/src/remote.c
+++ b/src/remote.c
@@ -112,10 +112,8 @@ int git_remote_load(git_remote **out, git_repository *repo, const char *name)
 		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
-	if (git_config_get_string(config, git_buf_cstr(&buf), &val) < 0) {
-		error = -1;
+	if ((error = git_config_get_string(config, git_buf_cstr(&buf), &val)) < 0)
 		goto cleanup;
-	}
 
 	remote->repo = repo;
 	remote->url = git__strdup(val);
diff --git a/tests-clar/network/remotes.c b/tests-clar/network/remotes.c
index 766a461b9..f03d983c3 100644
--- a/tests-clar/network/remotes.c
+++ b/tests-clar/network/remotes.c
@@ -153,3 +153,8 @@ void test_network_remotes__list(void)
 
 	git_config_free(cfg);
 }
+
+void test_network_remotes__loading_a_missing_remote_returns_ENOTFOUND(void)
+{
+	cl_assert_equal_i(GIT_ENOTFOUND, git_remote_load(&_remote, _repo, "just-left-few-minutes-ago"));
+}