diff --git a/lib/gitWorkflow.js b/lib/gitWorkflow.js
index 25c947730..31b1e77e9 100644
--- a/lib/gitWorkflow.js
+++ b/lib/gitWorkflow.js
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ class GitWorkflow {
 
       // Save stash of entire original state, including unstaged and untracked changes.
       // `--keep-index leaves only staged files on disk, for tasks.`
-      await this.execGit(['stash', 'save', '--quiet', '--include-untracked', '--keep-index', STASH])
+      await this.execGit(['stash', 'save', '--include-untracked', '--keep-index', STASH])
 
       // Restore meta information about ongoing git merge
       await this.restoreMergeStatus()
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@ class GitWorkflow {
 
       debug('Done backing up original state!')
     } catch (error) {
+      if (error.message && error.message.includes('You do not have the initial commit yet')) {
+        ctx.emptyGitRepo = true
+      }
       handleError(error, ctx)
     }
   }
diff --git a/lib/runAll.js b/lib/runAll.js
index ec0ed40bc..735c88d66 100644
--- a/lib/runAll.js
+++ b/lib/runAll.js
@@ -187,19 +187,22 @@ module.exports = async function runAll(
   ${symbols.warning} ${chalk.yellow(`lint-staged prevented an empty git commit.
     Use the --allow-empty option to continue, or check your task configuration`)}
 `)
-    }
-
-    // Show help text about manual restore in case of git errors.
-    // No sense to show this if the backup stash itself is missing.
-    else if (error.context.gitError && !error.context.gitGetBackupStashError) {
-      logger.error(`
-  ${symbols.error} ${chalk.red(`lint-staged failed due to a git error.
-    Any lost modifications can be restored from a git stash:
+    } else if (error.context.gitError && !error.context.gitGetBackupStashError) {
+      logger.error(`\n  ${symbols.error} ${chalk.red(`lint-staged failed due to a git error.`)}`)
+
+      if (error.context.emptyGitRepo) {
+        logger.error(
+          `\n    The initial commit is needed for lint-staged to work.
+    Please use the --no-verify flag to skip running lint-staged.`
+        )
+      } else {
+        // No sense to show this if the backup stash itself is missing.
+        logger.error(`  Any lost modifications can be restored from a git stash:
 
     > git stash list
     stash@{0}: On master: automatic lint-staged backup
-    > git stash pop stash@{0}`)}
-`)
+    > git stash pop stash@{0}\n`)
+      }
     }
 
     throw error
diff --git a/test/runAll.unmocked.2.spec.js b/test/runAll.unmocked.2.spec.js
index 47b7805a0..202449e33 100644
--- a/test/runAll.unmocked.2.spec.js
+++ b/test/runAll.unmocked.2.spec.js
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ describe('runAll', () => {
       LOG → Skipped because of previous git error.
       ERROR 
         × lint-staged failed due to a git error.
-          Any lost modifications can be restored from a git stash:
+      ERROR   Any lost modifications can be restored from a git stash:
 
           > git stash list
           stash@{0}: On master: automatic lint-staged backup
diff --git a/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js b/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js
index 302afad8d..2d6f01cbd 100644
--- a/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js
+++ b/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ describe('runAll', () => {
       "
       ERROR 
         × lint-staged failed due to a git error.
-          Any lost modifications can be restored from a git stash:
+      ERROR   Any lost modifications can be restored from a git stash:
 
           > git stash list
           stash@{0}: On master: automatic lint-staged backup
@@ -774,3 +774,28 @@ describe('runAll', () => {
     expect(await readFile('test.js', submoduleDir)).toEqual(testJsFilePretty)
   })
 })
+
+describe('runAll', () => {
+  it('Should throw when run on an empty git repo without an initial commit', async () => {
+    const tmpDir = await createTempDir()
+    const cwd = normalize(tmpDir)
+    const logger = makeConsoleMock()
+
+    await execGit('init', { cwd })
+    await execGit(['config', 'user.name', '"test"'], { cwd })
+    await execGit(['config', 'user.email', '"test@test.com"'], { cwd })
+    await appendFile('test.js', testJsFilePretty, cwd)
+    await execGit(['add', 'test.js'], { cwd })
+    await expect(
+      runAll({ config: { '*.js': 'prettier --list-different' }, cwd, quiet: true }, logger)
+    ).rejects.toThrowErrorMatchingInlineSnapshot(`"Something went wrong"`)
+    expect(logger.printHistory()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      "
+      ERROR 
+        × lint-staged failed due to a git error.
+      ERROR 
+          The initial commit is needed for lint-staged to work.
+          Please use the --no-verify flag to skip running lint-staged."
+    `)
+  })
+})