diff --git a/tests/test_publish.py b/tests/test_publish.py
index 7c887158..92d268da 100644
--- a/tests/test_publish.py
+++ b/tests/test_publish.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import re
 import shutil
 
+import audbackend
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
 import pytest
@@ -951,6 +952,17 @@ def test_publish_error_changed_deps_file_type(tmpdir, repository):
     audeer.rmdir(db_path)
 
 
+def test_publish_error_repository_does_not_exist(tmpdir, repository):
+
+    db = audformat.Database('test')
+    db.save(tmpdir)
+
+    repository.name = 'does-not-exist'
+    with pytest.raises(audbackend.BackendError) as ex:
+        audb.publish(tmpdir, '1.0.0', repository)
+    assert 'No such file or directory' in str(ex.value.exception)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'file',
     [