diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 724ec338..e2cb1275 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ For production:
 
 ---
 
+
 ## Bench Manger (GUI for Bench)
 
 Bench Manager is a graphical user interface to emulate the functionalities of Frappé Bench. Like the command line utility it helps you install apps, manage multiple sites, update apps and much more.
@@ -155,9 +156,8 @@ $ bench setup manager
 ```
 
 What all it does:
-
 1. Create new site bench-manager.local
-2. Gets the bench_manager app from https://github.com/frappe/bench_manager if it doesn't exist already
+2. Gets the `bench_manager` app from https://github.com/frappe/bench_manager if it doesn't exist already
 3. Installs the bench_manager app on the site bench-manager.local
 
 ## Docker Install - For Developers (beta)
diff --git a/bench/app.py b/bench/app.py
index 8f156430..93bc359f 100755
--- a/bench/app.py
+++ b/bench/app.py
@@ -234,14 +234,19 @@ Here are your choices:
 	wait for them to be merged in the core.'''.format(app))
 					sys.exit(1)
 
+	excluded_apps = get_excluded_apps()
 	for app in get_apps(bench_path=bench_path):
-		excluded_apps = get_excluded_apps()
 		if app in excluded_apps:
 			print("Skipping pull for app {}".format(app))
 			continue
 		app_dir = get_repo_dir(app, bench_path=bench_path)
 		if os.path.exists(os.path.join(app_dir, '.git')):
 			remote = get_remote(app)
+			if not remote:
+				# remote is False, i.e. remote doesn't exist, add the app to excluded_apps.txt
+				add_to_excluded_apps_txt(app, bench_path=bench_path)
+				print("Skipping pull for app {}, since remote doesn't exist, and adding it to excluded apps".format(app))
+				continue
 			logger.info('pulling {0}'.format(app))
 			if reset:
 				exec_cmd("git fetch --all", cwd=app_dir)
@@ -288,12 +293,13 @@ def get_remote(app, bench_path='.'):
 									   stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
 	contents = contents.decode('utf-8')
 	if re.findall('upstream[\s]+', contents):
-		remote = 'upstream'
+		return 'upstream'
+	elif not contents:
+		# if contents is an empty string => remote doesn't exist
+		return False
 	else:
 		# get the first remote
-		remote = contents.splitlines()[0].split()[0]
-
-	return remote
+		return contents.splitlines()[0].split()[0]
 
 def use_rq(bench_path):
 	bench_path = os.path.abspath(bench_path)