diff --git a/gertty/app.py b/gertty/app.py
index f27d11b..65a2e15 100644
--- a/gertty/app.py
+++ b/gertty/app.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from gertty import mywid
 from gertty import sync
 from gertty.view import project_list as view_project_list
 from gertty.view import change as view_change
+import gertty.view
 
 WELCOME_TEXT = """\
 Welcome to Gertty!
@@ -226,7 +227,11 @@ class App(object):
                 change_key = change and change.key or None
         if change_key is None:
             return self.error('Change is not in local database.')
-        self.changeScreen(view_change.ChangeView(self, change_key))
+        try:
+            view = view_change.ChangeView(self, change_key)
+            self.changeScreen(view)
+        except gertty.view.DisplayError as e:
+            self.app.error(e.message)
 
     def error(self, message):
         dialog = mywid.MessageDialog('Error', message)
diff --git a/gertty/gitrepo.py b/gertty/gitrepo.py
index 2806c16..53082d2 100644
--- a/gertty/gitrepo.py
+++ b/gertty/gitrepo.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import os
 import re
 
 import git
+import gitdb
 
 OLD = 0
 NEW = 1
@@ -150,6 +151,14 @@ class Repo(object):
         if not os.path.exists(path):
             git.Repo.clone_from(self.url, self.path)
 
+    def hasCommit(self, sha):
+        repo = git.Repo(self.path)
+        try:
+            repo.commit(sha)
+        except gitdb.exc.BadObject:
+            return False
+        return True
+
     def fetch(self, url, refspec):
         repo = git.Repo(self.path)
         try:
diff --git a/gertty/sync.py b/gertty/sync.py
index b523c6a..9f02dd6 100644
--- a/gertty/sync.py
+++ b/gertty/sync.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ class SyncProjectTask(Task):
                 # in the db optionally we could sync all changes ever
                 change = session.getChangeByID(c['id'])
                 if change or (c['status'] not in self._closed_statuses):
-                    sync.submitTask(SyncChangeTask(c['id'], self.priority))
+                    sync.submitTask(SyncChangeTask(c['id'], priority=self.priority))
                     self.log.debug("Change %s update %s" % (c['id'], c['updated']))
 
 class SyncChangeByCommitTask(Task):
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class SyncChangeByCommitTask(Task):
         self.log.debug('Query: %s ' % (query,))
         with app.db.getSession() as session:
             for c in changes:
-                sync.submitTask(SyncChangeTask(c['id'], self.priority))
+                sync.submitTask(SyncChangeTask(c['id'], priority=self.priority))
                 self.log.debug("Sync change %s for its commit %s" % (c['id'], self.commit))
 
 class SyncChangeByNumberTask(Task):
@@ -187,15 +187,16 @@ class SyncChangeByNumberTask(Task):
         self.log.debug('Query: %s ' % (query,))
         with app.db.getSession() as session:
             for c in changes:
-                task = SyncChangeTask(c['id'], self.priority)
+                task = SyncChangeTask(c['id'], priority=self.priority)
                 self.tasks.append(task)
                 sync.submitTask(task)
                 self.log.debug("Sync change %s because it is number %s" % (c['id'], self.number))
 
 class SyncChangeTask(Task):
-    def __init__(self, change_id, priority=NORMAL_PRIORITY):
+    def __init__(self, change_id, force_fetch=False, priority=NORMAL_PRIORITY):
         super(SyncChangeTask, self).__init__(priority)
         self.change_id = change_id
+        self.force_fetch = force_fetch
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return '<SyncChangeTask %s>' % (self.change_id,)
@@ -228,18 +229,19 @@ class SyncChangeTask(Task):
             new_revision = False
             for remote_commit, remote_revision in remote_change.get('revisions', {}).items():
                 revision = session.getRevisionByCommit(remote_commit)
-                if not revision:
-                    # TODO: handle multiple parents
-                    url = sync.app.config.url + change.project.name
-                    if 'anonymous http' in remote_revision['fetch']:
-                        ref = remote_revision['fetch']['anonymous http']['ref']
-                    else:
-                        ref = remote_revision['fetch']['http']['ref']
-                        url = list(urlparse.urlsplit(url))
-                        url[1] = '%s:%s@%s' % (sync.app.config.username,
-                                               sync.app.config.password, url[1])
-                        url = urlparse.urlunsplit(url)
+                # TODO: handle multiple parents
+                url = sync.app.config.url + change.project.name
+                if 'anonymous http' in remote_revision['fetch']:
+                    ref = remote_revision['fetch']['anonymous http']['ref']
+                else:
+                    ref = remote_revision['fetch']['http']['ref']
+                    url = list(urlparse.urlsplit(url))
+                    url[1] = '%s:%s@%s' % (sync.app.config.username,
+                                           sync.app.config.password, url[1])
+                    url = urlparse.urlunsplit(url)
+                if (not revision) or self.force_fetch:
                     fetches.append((url, ref))
+                if not revision:
                     revision = change.createRevision(remote_revision['_number'],
                                                      remote_revision['commit']['message'], remote_commit,
                                                      remote_revision['commit']['parents'][0]['commit'])
@@ -419,7 +421,7 @@ class UploadReviewTask(Task):
             # Inside db session for rollback
             sync.post('changes/%s/revisions/%s/review' % (change.id, revision.commit),
                       data)
-            sync.submitTask(SyncChangeTask(change.id, self.priority))
+            sync.submitTask(SyncChangeTask(change.id, priority=self.priority))
 
 class Sync(object):
     def __init__(self, app):
diff --git a/gertty/view/__init__.py b/gertty/view/__init__.py
index e69de29..3cfc7e0 100644
--- a/gertty/view/__init__.py
+++ b/gertty/view/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# Copyright 2014 OpenStack Foundation
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+class DisplayError(Exception):
+    pass
diff --git a/gertty/view/change.py b/gertty/view/change.py
index 167b7f3..661d7b0 100644
--- a/gertty/view/change.py
+++ b/gertty/view/change.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from gertty import gitrepo
 from gertty import mywid
 from gertty import sync
 from gertty.view import diff as view_diff
+import gertty.view
 
 class ReviewDialog(urwid.WidgetWrap):
     signals = ['save', 'cancel']
@@ -330,8 +331,32 @@ This Screen
         self.listbox.body.append(urwid.Divider())
         self.listbox_patchset_start = len(self.listbox.body)
 
+        self.checkGitRepo()
         self.refresh()
 
+    def checkGitRepo(self):
+        missing_revisions = False
+        change_number = None
+        change_id = None
+        with self.app.db.getSession() as session:
+            change = session.getChange(self.change_key)
+            change_number = change.number
+            change_id = change.id
+            repo = self.app.getRepo(change.project.name)
+            for revision in change.revisions:
+                if not (repo.hasCommit(revision.parent) and
+                        repo.hasCommit(revision.commit)):
+                    missing_revisions = True
+                    break
+        if missing_revisions:
+            self.app.log.warning("Missing some commits for change %s" % change_number)
+            task = sync.SyncChangeTask(change_id, force_fetch=True,
+                                       priority=sync.HIGH_PRIORITY)
+            self.app.sync.submitTask(task)
+            succeeded = task.wait(300)
+            if not succeeded:
+                raise gertty.view.DisplayError("Git commits not present in local repository")
+
     def refresh(self):
         change_info = []
         with self.app.db.getSession() as session:
diff --git a/gertty/view/change_list.py b/gertty/view/change_list.py
index 6cec924..b4bfba6 100644
--- a/gertty/view/change_list.py
+++ b/gertty/view/change_list.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import urwid
 
 from gertty import mywid
 from gertty.view import change as view_change
+import gertty.view
 
 class ChangeRow(urwid.Button):
     change_focus_map = {None: 'focused',
@@ -154,4 +155,8 @@ This Screen
         return super(ChangeListView, self).keypress(size, key)
 
     def onSelect(self, button, change_key):
-        self.app.changeScreen(view_change.ChangeView(self.app, change_key))
+        try:
+            view = view_change.ChangeView(self.app, change_key)
+            self.app.changeScreen(view)
+        except gertty.view.DisplayError as e:
+            self.app.error(e.message)