@@ -105,7 +105,11 @@ def cookbooks
 
   def satisfy(cookbook, req=nil)
     r = req.to_s
-    versions = Chef::CookbookVersion.cdb_by_name(cookbook)[cookbook].sort
+    begin
+      versions = Chef::CookbookVersion.cdb_by_name(cookbook)[cookbook].sort
+    rescue NoMethodError
+      raise PreconditionFailed, "cookbook #{cookbook} does not exist"
+    end
     if r.nil? or r.empty? or r == "latest"
       versions
     elsif r =~ PATTERN
 
@@ -48,5 +48,5 @@ Feature: Synchronize cookbooks from the server
       And it includes the recipe 'testcookbook_wrong_metadata'
      When I run the chef-client with '-l debug'
      Then the run should exit '1'
-      And 'stdout' should have '412 Precondition Failed: cookbook testcookbook_wrong_metadata depends on cookbook no_such_cookbook, but no_such_cookbook does not exist'
+      And 'stdout' should have '412 Precondition Failed: cookbook no_such_cookbook does not exist'