diff --git a/provenance/core.py b/provenance/core.py
index b54aff0..46deba2 100644
--- a/provenance/core.py
+++ b/provenance/core.py
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ def _provenance_wrapper(*args, **kargs):
                 msg = 'The default repo is not set. '
                 msg += 'You may want to add  the `default_repo` key to your call to `provenance.load_config.` '
                 msg += 'e.g., provenance\.load_config({\'default_repo\': <default repo name>, ...})'
-                raise Exception(msg).with_traceback(e.__traceback__)
+                raise AttributeError(msg).with_traceback(e.__traceback__)
         else:
             artifact = None
 
diff --git a/tests/provenance/test_core.py b/tests/provenance/test_core.py
index 634ed39..21ea668 100644
--- a/tests/provenance/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/provenance/test_core.py
@@ -19,6 +19,19 @@ def spit(filename, content):
     with open(filename, "w") as f:
         f.write(content)
 
+
+def test_errors_without_default_repo():
+    @p.provenance()
+    def my_add(x, y):
+        print("Executed")
+        return x + y
+
+    with pytest.raises(AttributeError) as err:
+        my_add(1, 4)
+        
+        assert 'The default repo is not set' in err.message
+    
+
 def test_integration_test(repo):
     @p.provenance(version=0, name='initial_data')
     def load_data(filename):