diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/0.request b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/0.request
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/0.response b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/0.response
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..e2a960dbbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/0.response
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+    "kind": "ConfigMapList",
+    "apiVersion": "v1",
+    "metadata": {
+        "selfLink": "/api/v1/namespaces/edit-test/configmaps",
+        "resourceVersion": "252"
+    },
+    "items": []
+}
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/test.yaml b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/test.yaml
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..1111145af9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/testdata/edit/testcase-edit-from-empty/test.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+description: add a testcase description
+mode: edit
+args:
+- configmap
+namespace: "edit-test"
+expectedStderr:
+- edit cancelled, no objects found.
+expectedExitCode: 1
+steps:
+- type: request
+  expectedMethod: GET
+  expectedPath: /api/v1/namespaces/edit-test/configmaps
+  expectedInput: 0.request
+  resultingStatusCode: 200
+  resultingOutput: 0.response
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go
index 3b3066201b..f855cb16e7 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/editor/editoptions.go
@@ -336,6 +336,9 @@ func (o *EditOptions) Run() error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if len(infos) == 0 {
+			return errors.New("edit cancelled, no objects found.")
+		}
 		return editFn(infos)
 	case ApplyEditMode:
 		infos, err := o.OriginalResult.Infos()
@@ -500,11 +503,7 @@ func getPrinter(format string) *editPrinterOptions {
 	}
 }
 
-func (o *EditOptions) visitToPatch(
-	originalInfos []*resource.Info,
-	patchVisitor resource.Visitor,
-	results *editResults,
-) error {
+func (o *EditOptions) visitToPatch(originalInfos []*resource.Info, patchVisitor resource.Visitor, results *editResults) error {
 	err := patchVisitor.Visit(func(info *resource.Info, incomingErr error) error {
 		editObjUID, err := meta.NewAccessor().UID(info.Object)
 		if err != nil {