diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 6dd9c69b..84c5bf14 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -27,10 +27,8 @@ Access tokens can be created here: https://github.com/settings/tokens/new
 
 Please select the necessary access scopes:
 
-- _repo:status (required for private repos)_
-- _repo_deployment (required for private repos)_
-- **public_repo (required)**
-- _repo:invite (required for private repos)_
+- `repo` (for public and private repos)
+- `public_repo` (for public repos only)
 
 CLI: `--accessToken myAccessToken`
 
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index f88aa363..f5cebb4f 100755
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { getOptions } from './options/options';
 async function init() {
   try {
     const options = await getOptions(process.argv);
-    return initSteps(options);
+    return await initSteps(options);
   } catch (e) {
     if (e.name === 'HandledError') {
       console.error(e.message);
diff --git a/src/services/github.ts b/src/services/github.ts
index 11234ae9..e01d0252 100644
--- a/src/services/github.ts
+++ b/src/services/github.ts
@@ -151,6 +151,44 @@ export async function addLabelsToPullRequest(
   }
 }
 
+export async function verifyAccessToken(
+  owner: string,
+  repoName: string,
+  accessToken: string
+) {
+  try {
+    return await axios.head(
+      `https://api.github.com/repos/${owner}/${repoName}?access_token=${accessToken}`
+    );
+  } catch (e) {
+    const error = e as GithubApiError;
+    const statusCode = error.response && error.response.status;
+
+    const grantedScopes = get(error, 'response.headers["x-oauth-scopes"]');
+    const requiredScopes = get(
+      error,
+      'response.headers["x-accepted-oauth-scopes"]'
+    );
+
+    switch (statusCode) {
+      case 401:
+        throw new HandledError(
+          `Please check your access token and make sure it is valid`
+        );
+      default:
+        if (grantedScopes === requiredScopes) {
+          throw new HandledError(
+            `The repository "${owner}/${repoName}" doesn't exist`
+          );
+        }
+
+        throw new HandledError(
+          `You do not have access to the repository "${owner}/${repoName}". Please make sure your access token has the required scopes.\n\nRequired scopes: ${requiredScopes}\nAccess token scopes: ${grantedScopes}`
+        );
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 export function setAccessToken(token: string) {
   accessToken = token;
 }
diff --git a/src/steps/steps.ts b/src/steps/steps.ts
index 99dc8536..e583132d 100755
--- a/src/steps/steps.ts
+++ b/src/steps/steps.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { setAccessToken } from '../services/github';
+import { setAccessToken, verifyAccessToken } from '../services/github';
 import { doBackportVersions } from './doBackportVersions';
 import { BackportOptions } from '../options/options';
 import { getCommits } from './getCommits';
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { maybeSetupRepo } from './maybeSetupRepo';
 
 export async function initSteps(options: BackportOptions) {
   const [owner, repoName] = options.upstream.split('/');
+  await verifyAccessToken(owner, repoName, options.accessToken);
   setAccessToken(options.accessToken);
 
   const commits = await getCommits(options);
diff --git a/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap b/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap
index 966bfc1d..2626cc7d 100644
--- a/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap
+++ b/test/steps/__snapshots__/steps.test.ts.snap
@@ -228,7 +228,27 @@ Object {
       "xsrfHeaderName": "X-XSRF-TOKEN",
     },
   ],
-  "head": Array [],
+  "head": Array [
+    Object {
+      "data": undefined,
+      "headers": Object {
+        "Accept": "application/json, text/plain, */*",
+      },
+      "maxContentLength": -1,
+      "method": "head",
+      "timeout": 0,
+      "transformRequest": Object {
+        "0": [Function],
+      },
+      "transformResponse": Object {
+        "0": [Function],
+      },
+      "url": "https://api.github.com/repos/elastic/kibana?access_token=myAccessToken",
+      "validateStatus": [Function],
+      "xsrfCookieName": "XSRF-TOKEN",
+      "xsrfHeaderName": "X-XSRF-TOKEN",
+    },
+  ],
   "list": Array [],
   "options": Array [],
   "patch": Array [],
diff --git a/test/steps/steps.test.ts b/test/steps/steps.test.ts
index 7e106f9d..b7f36527 100644
--- a/test/steps/steps.test.ts
+++ b/test/steps/steps.test.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,19 @@ function mockGetPullRequest(
     });
 }
 
+function mockVerifyAccessToken(
+  axiosMock: MockAdapter,
+  owner: string,
+  repoName: string,
+  accessToken: string
+) {
+  return axiosMock
+    .onHead(
+      `https://api.github.com/repos/${owner}/${repoName}?access_token=${accessToken}`
+    )
+    .reply(200);
+}
+
 function mockGetCommits(
   axiosMock: MockAdapter,
   {
@@ -111,6 +124,9 @@ describe('run through steps', () => {
       });
 
     axiosMock = new MockAdapter(axios);
+
+    mockVerifyAccessToken(axiosMock, owner, repoName, accessToken);
+
     mockGetCommits(axiosMock, {
       owner,
       repoName,