diff --git a/plugins/apps/functions b/plugins/apps/functions
index 2ce635700..3fdc9ef0c 100755
--- a/plugins/apps/functions
+++ b/plugins/apps/functions
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ apps_create() {
   declare APP="$1"
   is_valid_app_name "$APP"
 
-  [[ -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] && dokku_log_fail "Name is already taken"
+  apps_exists "$APP" > /dev/null 2>&1 && dokku_log_fail "Name is already taken"
 
   mkdir -p "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP"
   dokku_log_info1_quiet "Creating $APP... done"
@@ -45,15 +45,14 @@ apps_exists() {
   declare APP="$1"
   is_valid_app_name "$APP"
 
-  [[ -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] || dokku_log_fail "App does not exist"
-  dokku_log_info1 "App already exists"
+  [[ -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] || return 1
 }
 
 apps_maybe_create() {
   declare desc="creates an app dir if allowed"
   declare APP="$1"
 
-  if [[ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]]; then
+  if ! apps_exists "$APP" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
     DOKKU_GLOBAL_DISABLE_AUTOCREATE="$(config_get --global DOKKU_DISABLE_APP_AUTOCREATION || true)"
     if [[ "$DOKKU_GLOBAL_DISABLE_AUTOCREATE" == "true" ]]; then
       dokku_log_warn "App auto-creation disabled."
diff --git a/plugins/apps/subcommands/exists b/plugins/apps/subcommands/exists
index 792590fa7..084334eb4 100755
--- a/plugins/apps/subcommands/exists
+++ b/plugins/apps/subcommands/exists
@@ -5,7 +5,13 @@ source "$PLUGIN_AVAILABLE_PATH/apps/functions"
 apps_exists_cmd() {
   declare desc="checks if an app exists"
   local cmd="apps:exists"
-  apps_exists "$2"
+  [[ "$1" == "$cmd" ]] && shift 1
+  declare APP="$1"
+
+  if ! apps_exists "$APP"; then
+    dokku_log_fail "App does not exist"
+  fi
+  dokku_log_info1 "App already exists"
 }
 
 apps_exists_cmd "$@"
diff --git a/plugins/git/functions b/plugins/git/functions
index 7fef5d1f7..aa3089fd5 100755
--- a/plugins/git/functions
+++ b/plugins/git/functions
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ git_build_app_repo() {
   chmod 755 "$GIT_BUILD_APP_REPO_TMP_WORK_DIR"
   unset GIT_DIR GIT_WORK_TREE
 
-  [[ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] && apps_maybe_create "$APP"
+  ! apps_exists "$APP" > /dev/null 2>&1 && apps_maybe_create "$APP"
 
   if use_git_worktree; then
     # git worktree - this method uses git worktree which was introduced in git 2.5
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ git_upload_pack_cmd() {
   declare APP="$2"
   APP="$(echo "$APP" | perl -pe 's/(?<!\\)'\''//g' | sed 's/\\'\''/'\''/g' | sed 's/^\///g')"
   is_valid_app_name "$APP"
-  [[ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] && apps_maybe_create "$APP"
+  ! apps_exists "$APP" > /dev/null 2>&1 && apps_maybe_create "$APP"
 
   plugn trigger git-pre-pull "$APP"
   cat | git-upload-pack "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP"
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ git_glob_cmd() {
   is_valid_app_name "$APP"
 
   if [[ $1 == "git-receive-pack" && ! -d "$APP_PATH/refs" ]]; then
-    [[ ! -d "$DOKKU_ROOT/$APP" ]] && apps_maybe_create "$APP"
+    ! apps_exists "$APP" > /dev/null 2>&1 && apps_maybe_create "$APP"
 
     fn-git-create-hook "$APP"
   fi