diff --git a/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh b/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh
index b4e89aa9..779dafa0 100755
--- a/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh
+++ b/tests/t8010-listaddons.sh
@@ -9,12 +9,16 @@ This test checks listing of custom actions.
 
 test_todo_session 'no custom actions' <<EOF
 >>> todo.sh listaddons
+TODO: '$TODO_ACTIONS_DIR' does not exist.
+=== 1
 EOF
 
 make_action "foo"
 test_todo_session 'one custom action' <<EOF
 >>> todo.sh listaddons
 foo
+--
+TODO: 1 valid addon actions found.
 EOF
 
 make_action "bar"
@@ -26,6 +30,8 @@ bar
 foo
 ls
 quux
+--
+TODO: 4 valid addon actions found.
 EOF
 
 chmod -x .todo.actions.d/foo
@@ -39,6 +45,8 @@ test_todo_session 'nonexecutable action' <<EOF
 bar
 ls
 quux
+--
+TODO: 3 valid addon actions found.
 EOF
 
 make_action_in_folder "chuck"
@@ -64,6 +72,8 @@ chuck
 ls
 norris
 quux
+--
+TODO: 5 valid addon actions found.
 EOF
 
 # nthorne: shamelessly stolen from above..
@@ -79,6 +89,8 @@ bar
 chuck
 ls
 quux
+--
+TODO: 4 valid addon actions found.
 EOF
 
 test_done
diff --git a/todo.sh b/todo.sh
index fb8d4bce..002bd2cc 100755
--- a/todo.sh
+++ b/todo.sh
@@ -354,9 +354,10 @@ dieWithHelp()
 
     die "$@"
 }
+
 die()
 {
-    echo "$*"
+    echo >&2 "$*"
     exit 1
 }
 
@@ -864,7 +865,7 @@ _list() {
     local FILE="$1"
     ## If the file starts with a "/" use absolute path. Otherwise,
     ## try to find it in either $TODO_DIR or using a relative path
-    if [ "${1:0:1}" == / ]; then
+    if [ "${1:0:1}" == / ] && [ -f "$FILE" ]; then
         ## Absolute path
         src="$FILE"
     elif [ -f "$TODO_DIR/$FILE" ]; then
@@ -1485,14 +1486,27 @@ note: PRIORITY must be anywhere from A to Z."
 "listaddons" )
     if [ -d "$TODO_ACTIONS_DIR" ]; then
         cd "$TODO_ACTIONS_DIR" || exit $?
+        actionsCnt=0
         for action in *
         do
             if [ -f "$action" ] && [ -x "$action" ]; then
                 echo "$action"
+                ((actionsCnt+=1))
             elif [ -d "$action" ] && [ -x "$action/$action" ]; then
                 echo "$action"
+                ((actionsCnt+=1))
             fi
         done
+        if ! [ "$actionsCnt" -gt 0 ]; then
+             die "TODO: '$TODO_ACTIONS_DIR' does not contain valid actions."
+        else
+            if [ "$TODOTXT_VERBOSE" -gt 0 ]; then
+                echo "--"
+                echo "TODO: $actionsCnt valid addon actions found."
+            fi
+        fi 
+    else
+        die "TODO: '$TODO_ACTIONS_DIR' does not exist." 
     fi
     ;;