diff --git a/pkg/generate/app/errors.go b/pkg/generate/app/errors.go
index 1e38fd825a56..bf08869d7f26 100644
--- a/pkg/generate/app/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/generate/app/errors.go
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ type ErrNoMatch struct {
 
 func (e ErrNoMatch) Error() string {
 	if len(e.Qualifier) != 0 {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("no match for %q: %s", e.Value, e.Qualifier)
+		return fmt.Sprintf("unable to locate resource for %q: %s", e.Value, e.Qualifier)
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("no match for %q", e.Value)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("unable to locate resource for %q", e.Value)
 }
 
 // Suggestion is the usage error message returned when no match is found.
diff --git a/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/newapp.go b/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/newapp.go
index b8988bb73cea..095fda8a83a5 100644
--- a/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/newapp.go
+++ b/pkg/oc/cli/cmd/newapp.go
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ func handleError(err error, baseName, commandName, commandPath string, config *n
 		// this print serves as a header for the printing of the errorGroups, but
 		// only print it if we precede with classification errors, to help distinguish
 		// between the two
-		fmt.Fprintln(buf, "Errors occurred during resource creation:")
+		fmt.Fprintf(buf, "Errors occurred during %s processing of arguments:\n", commandName)
 	}
 	for _, group := range groups {
 		fmt.Fprint(buf, kcmdutil.MultipleErrors("error: ", group.errs))
diff --git a/pkg/oc/generate/app/cmd/newapp.go b/pkg/oc/generate/app/cmd/newapp.go
index 0319737cb00f..631a75f1a73c 100644
--- a/pkg/oc/generate/app/cmd/newapp.go
+++ b/pkg/oc/generate/app/cmd/newapp.go
@@ -320,9 +320,17 @@ func (c *AppConfig) AddArguments(args []string) []string {
 
 		switch {
 		case c.tryToAddEnvironmentArguments(s):
+			// does not update c.ArgumentClassificationErrors
 		case c.tryToAddSourceArguments(s):
+			// successful with first classification attempt
 		case c.tryToAddComponentArguments(s):
+			// clear out any errors noted for source classification as we are successful with component
+			// classification
+			c.ArgumentClassificationErrors = []ArgumentClassificationError{}
 		case c.tryToAddTemplateArguments(s):
+			// clear out any errors noted for source/component classification as we are successful with template
+			// classification
+			c.ArgumentClassificationErrors = []ArgumentClassificationError{}
 		default:
 			glog.V(2).Infof("treating %s as unknown\n", s)
 			unknown = append(unknown, s)
diff --git a/test/cmd/newapp.sh b/test/cmd/newapp.sh
index d5958eb3c828..39ae32ceee7c 100755
--- a/test/cmd/newapp.sh
+++ b/test/cmd/newapp.sh
@@ -53,14 +53,13 @@ os::cmd::expect_success 'oc delete is myruby'
 os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app https://github.com/openshift/nodejs-ex --strategy=docker' 'No Dockerfile was found'
 
 # repo related error message validation
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app mysql-persisten mysql' 'mysql-persisten as a local directory'
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app mysql-persisten mysql' 'mysql as a local directory'
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app --strategy=docker https://192.30.253.113/openshift/ruby-hello-world.git' 'as a Git repository URL:  '
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app https://www.google.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'as a Git repository URL:  '
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app https://examplegit.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'as a Git repository URL:  '
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-build --strategy=docker https://192.30.253.113/openshift/ruby-hello-world.git' 'as a Git repository URL:  '
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-build https://www.google.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'as a Git repository URL:  '
-os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-build https://examplegit.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'as a Git repository URL:  '
+os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app mysql-persisten mysql' 'only a partial match was found'
+os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app --strategy=docker https://192.30.253.113/openshift/ruby-hello-world.git' 'only a partial match was found'
+os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app https://www.google.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'unable to lo'
+os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-app https://examplegit.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'unable to lo '
+os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-build --strategy=docker https://192.30.253.113/openshift/ruby-hello-world.git' '--strategy is specified and none of the arguments provided could be classified as a source code location'
+os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-build https://www.google.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'unable to lo'
+os::cmd::expect_failure_and_text 'oc new-build https://examplegit.com/openshift/nodejs-e' 'unable to lo'
 
 # setting source secret via the --source-secret flag
 os::cmd::expect_success_and_text 'oc new-app https://github.com/openshift/cakephp-ex --source-secret=mysecret -o yaml' 'name: mysecret'
diff --git a/test/integration/newapp_test.go b/test/integration/newapp_test.go
index 2587052df26f..273f2b4fc07b 100644
--- a/test/integration/newapp_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/newapp_test.go
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func TestNewAppResolve(t *testing.T) {
 						},
 					},
 				})},
-			expectedErr: `no match for "mysql:invalid`,
+			expectedErr: `unable to locate resource for "mysql:invalid`,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "Successful mysql builder",