diff --git a/github/repository_utils.go b/github/repository_utils.go
index 1596b97bd7..356c84f8fe 100644
--- a/github/repository_utils.go
+++ b/github/repository_utils.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func getAutolinkByKeyPrefix(client *github.Client, owner, repo, keyPrefix string
 		}
 	}
 
-	return nil, nil
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot find autolink reference %s in repo %s/%s", keyPrefix, owner, repo)
 }
 
 // listAutolinks returns all autolink references for the given repository.
diff --git a/github/resource_github_repository_autolink_reference_test.go b/github/resource_github_repository_autolink_reference_test.go
index 73a09cb2b5..87c01a2cc4 100644
--- a/github/resource_github_repository_autolink_reference_test.go
+++ b/github/resource_github_repository_autolink_reference_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package github
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-sdk/v2/helper/acctest"
@@ -288,6 +289,12 @@ func TestAccGithubRepositoryAutolinkReference(t *testing.T) {
 						ImportStateVerify: true,
 						ImportStateId:     fmt.Sprintf("oof-%s/OOF-", randomID),
 					},
+					{
+						ResourceName:  "github_repository_autolink_reference.autolink",
+						ImportState:   true,
+						ImportStateId: fmt.Sprintf("oof-%s/OCTOCAT-", randomID),
+						ExpectError:   regexp.MustCompile(`cannot find autolink reference`),
+					},
 				},
 			})
 		}