diff --git a/ocaml/idl/datamodel_errors.ml b/ocaml/idl/datamodel_errors.ml
index abd0490ee64..8407711d21f 100644
--- a/ocaml/idl/datamodel_errors.ml
+++ b/ocaml/idl/datamodel_errors.ml
@@ -1955,6 +1955,9 @@ let _ =
   error Api_errors.invalid_update_sync_day ["day"]
     ~doc:"Invalid day of the week chosen for weekly update sync." () ;
 
+  error Api_errors.no_repositories_configured []
+    ~doc:"No update repositories have been configured." () ;
+
   message
     (fst Api_messages.ha_pool_overcommitted)
     ~doc:
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi-consts/api_errors.ml b/ocaml/xapi-consts/api_errors.ml
index 1da1799230e..70557f54ee9 100644
--- a/ocaml/xapi-consts/api_errors.ml
+++ b/ocaml/xapi-consts/api_errors.ml
@@ -1283,6 +1283,8 @@ let update_guidance_changed = "UPDATE_GUIDANCE_CHANGED"
 
 let invalid_update_sync_day = "INVALID_UPDATE_SYNC_DAY"
 
+let no_repositories_configured = "NO_REPOSITORIES_CONFIGURED"
+
 (* VTPMs *)
 
 let vtpm_max_amount_reached = "VTPM_MAX_AMOUNT_REACHED"
diff --git a/ocaml/xapi/xapi_pool.ml b/ocaml/xapi/xapi_pool.ml
index 1cbaf207e40..240075c9edb 100644
--- a/ocaml/xapi/xapi_pool.ml
+++ b/ocaml/xapi/xapi_pool.ml
@@ -3667,6 +3667,10 @@ let configure_update_sync ~__context ~self ~update_sync_frequency
     Pool_periodic_update_sync.set_enabled ~__context ~value:true
 
 let set_update_sync_enabled ~__context ~self ~value =
+  if value && Db.Pool.get_repositories ~__context ~self = [] then (
+    error "Cannot enable automatic update syncing if there are no repositories." ;
+    raise Api_errors.(Server_error (no_repositories_configured, []))
+  ) ;
   Pool_periodic_update_sync.set_enabled ~__context ~value ;
   Db.Pool.set_update_sync_enabled ~__context ~self ~value