diff --git a/cmd/publish_switch.go b/cmd/publish_switch.go
index f41403f4..c8cb6f8e 100644
--- a/cmd/publish_switch.go
+++ b/cmd/publish_switch.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/smira/aptly/deb"
+	"github.com/smira/aptly/utils"
 	"github.com/smira/commander"
 	"github.com/smira/flag"
 	"strings"
@@ -61,6 +62,10 @@ func aptlyPublishSwitch(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	for i, component := range components {
+		if !utils.StrSliceHasItem(publishedComponents, component) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to switch: component %s is not in published repository", component)
+		}
+
 		snapshot, err = context.CollectionFactory().SnapshotCollection().ByName(names[i])
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to switch: %s", err)
diff --git a/system/t06_publish/PublishSwitch12Test_gold b/system/t06_publish/PublishSwitch12Test_gold
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2fb3bcac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/system/t06_publish/PublishSwitch12Test_gold
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ERROR: unable to switch: component c is not in published repository
diff --git a/system/t06_publish/switch.py b/system/t06_publish/switch.py
index 0abd8dd5..51bfc82f 100644
--- a/system/t06_publish/switch.py
+++ b/system/t06_publish/switch.py
@@ -388,3 +388,15 @@ class PublishSwitch11Test(BaseTest):
 
         self.check_file_contents("public/pool/main/p/pyspi/pyspi_0.6.1.orig.tar.gz", "file")
 
+
+class PublishSwitch12Test(BaseTest):
+    """
+    publish switch: wrong component names
+    """
+    fixtureCmds = [
+        "aptly snapshot create snap1 empty",
+        "aptly snapshot create snap2 empty",
+        "aptly publish snapshot -architectures=i386 -keyring=${files}/aptly.pub -secret-keyring=${files}/aptly.sec -distribution=maverick -component=a,b snap1 snap2",
+    ]
+    runCmd = "aptly publish switch -keyring=${files}/aptly.pub -secret-keyring=${files}/aptly.sec -component=a,c maverick snap2 snap1"
+    expectedCode = 1