diff --git a/app/services/tags/create_service.rb b/app/services/tags/create_service.rb
index e332b51ae94db1c472f6b00d1d636a50f53a9853..355525364164cb639bdc4e067c541404dd33d2cb 100644
--- a/app/services/tags/create_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/tags/create_service.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ def execute(tag_name, target, message)
         return error("Tag #{tag_name} already exists", 409)
       rescue Gitlab::Git::PreReceiveError => ex
         return error(ex.message)
+      rescue Gitlab::Git::Repository::NoRepository
+        return error("Failed to create a tag: #{tag_name}", 400)
       end
 
       if new_tag
diff --git a/spec/services/tags/create_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/tags/create_service_spec.rb
index 51b8bace62636eb93dbb63c21aa9a78e19bbd8c2..9dcc87cde57b57e9404f410ed7faa15ae74293c1 100644
--- a/spec/services/tags/create_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/tags/create_service_spec.rb
@@ -47,6 +47,16 @@
       end
     end
 
+    context 'when tag format is incorrect' do
+      it 'returns an error' do
+        response = service.execute("\x7f", 'master', 'Foo')
+
+        expect(response[:status]).to eq(:error)
+        expect(response[:http_status]).to eq(400)
+        expect(response[:message]).to eq("Failed to create a tag: \u007F")
+      end
+    end
+
     context 'when tag already exists' do
       it 'returns an error' do
         expect(repository).to receive(:add_tag)