diff --git a/config/functions b/config/functions
index 9954c23fba..b42450b2bd 100644
--- a/config/functions
+++ b/config/functions
@@ -741,8 +741,15 @@ check_project() {
 
 check_device() {
   local dashes="===========================" device_err_msg
-  if [ \( -z "${DEVICE}" -a -d "${PROJECT_DIR}/${PROJECT}/devices" \) -o \
-       \( -n "${DEVICE}" -a ! -d "${PROJECT_DIR}/${PROJECT}/devices/${DEVICE}" \) ]; then
+  if [ -n "${DEVICE}" -a ! -d "${PROJECT_DIR}/${PROJECT}/devices" ]; then
+    device_err_msg="\n $dashes$dashes$dashes"
+    device_err_msg="${device_err_msg}\n ERROR: You must not specify DEVICE for the $PROJECT project"
+    device_err_msg="${device_err_msg}\n $dashes$dashes$dashes"
+    device_err_msg="${device_err_msg}\n\n There are no devices for project: ${PROJECT}"
+
+    die "${device_err_msg}"
+  elif [ \( -z "${DEVICE}" -a -d "${PROJECT_DIR}/${PROJECT}/devices" \) -o \
+         \( -n "${DEVICE}" -a ! -d "${PROJECT_DIR}/${PROJECT}/devices/${DEVICE}" \) ]; then
     device_err_msg="\n $dashes$dashes$dashes"
     device_err_msg="${device_err_msg}\n ERROR: You need to specify a valid device for the $PROJECT project"
     device_err_msg="${device_err_msg}\n $dashes$dashes$dashes"