diff --git a/lib/api/merge_requests.rb b/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
index 470cd1e1..25ee8f05 100644
--- a/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
+++ b/lib/api/merge_requests.rb
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ module Gitlab
           merge_request.reload_code
           present merge_request, with: Entities::MergeRequest
         else
+          if merge_request.errors[:target_branch].any?
+            error!(merge_request.errors[:target_branch], 400)
+          elsif merge_request.errors[:source_branch].any?
+            error!(merge_request.errors[:source_branch], 400)
+          elsif merge_request.errors[:base].any?
+            error!(merge_request.errors[:base], 422)
+          end
           not_found!
         end
       end
@@ -88,6 +95,13 @@ module Gitlab
           merge_request.mark_as_unchecked
           present merge_request, with: Entities::MergeRequest
         else
+          if merge_request.errors[:target_branch].any?
+            error!(merge_request.errors[:target_branch], 400)
+          elsif merge_request.errors[:source_branch].any?
+            error!(merge_request.errors[:source_branch], 400)
+          elsif merge_request.errors[:base].any?
+            error!(merge_request.errors[:base], 422)
+          end
           not_found!
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb
index 5da54154..bf87ecbd 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/merge_requests_spec.rb
@@ -41,6 +41,24 @@ describe Gitlab::API do
       response.status.should == 201
       json_response['title'].should == 'Test merge_request'
     end
+
+    it "should return 422 when source_branch equals target_branch" do
+      post api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_requests", user),
+        title: "Test merge_request", source_branch: "master", target_branch: "master", author: user
+      response.status.should == 422
+    end
+
+    it "should return 400 when source_branch is missing" do
+      post api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_requests", user),
+        title: "Test merge_request", target_branch: "master", author: user
+      response.status.should == 400
+    end
+
+    it "should return 400 when target_branch is missing" do
+      post api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_requests", user),
+        title: "Test merge_request", source_branch: "stable", author: user
+      response.status.should == 400
+    end
   end
 
   describe "PUT /projects/:id/merge_request/:merge_request_id" do
@@ -49,6 +67,18 @@ describe Gitlab::API do
       response.status.should == 200
       json_response['title'].should == 'New title'
     end
+
+    it "should return 422 when source_branch and target_branch are renamed the same" do
+      put api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_request/#{merge_request.id}", user),
+        source_branch: "master", target_branch: "master"
+      response.status.should == 422
+    end
+
+    it "should return merge_request with renamed target_branch" do
+      put api("/projects/#{project.id}/merge_request/#{merge_request.id}", user), target_branch: "test"
+      response.status.should == 200
+      json_response['target_branch'].should == 'test'
+    end
   end
 
   describe "POST /projects/:id/merge_request/:merge_request_id/comments" do