diff --git a/lib/capistrano/command.rb b/lib/capistrano/command.rb
index 81270d75..e934ada1 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/command.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/command.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ module Capistrano
       include Enumerable
 
       class Branch
-        attr_accessor :command, :callback
+        attr_accessor :command, :callback, :condition
         attr_reader :options
 
         def initialize(command, options, callback)
@@ -43,14 +43,17 @@ module Capistrano
           true
         end
 
-        def to_s
-          command.inspect
+        def to_s(parallel=false)
+          if parallel && @condition
+            "#{condition.inspect} :: #{command.inspect}"
+          else
+            command.inspect
+          end
         end
       end
 
       class ConditionBranch < Branch
         attr_accessor :configuration
-        attr_accessor :condition
 
         class Evaluator
           attr_reader :configuration, :condition, :server
@@ -89,9 +92,12 @@ module Capistrano
         def match(server)
           Evaluator.new(configuration, condition, server).result
         end
+      end
 
-        def to_s
-          "#{condition.inspect} :: #{command.inspect}"
+      class ElseBranch < Branch
+        def initialize(command, options, callback)
+          @condition = "else"
+          super(command, options, callback)
         end
       end
 
@@ -106,7 +112,7 @@ module Capistrano
       end
 
       def else(command, &block)
-        @fallback = Branch.new(command, {}, block)
+        @fallback = ElseBranch.new(command, {}, block)
       end
 
       def branches_for(server)
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/configuration/actions/invocation.rb b/lib/capistrano/configuration/actions/invocation.rb
index 9bd5bba9..76aeee4f 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/configuration/actions/invocation.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/configuration/actions/invocation.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ module Capistrano
         #
         # The string specified as the first argument to +when+ may be any valid
         # Ruby code. It has access to the following variables and methods:
-        # 
+        #
         # * +in?(role)+ returns true if the server participates in the given role
         # * +server+ is the ServerDefinition object for the server. This can be
         #   used to get the host-name, etc.
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ module Capistrano
         #   to run, then the hosts will be run in groups of max_hosts. The default is nil,
         #   which indicates that there is no maximum host limit. Please note this does not
         #   limit the number of SSH channels that can be open, only the number of hosts upon
-        #   which this will be called. 
+        #   which this will be called.
         # * :shell - says which shell should be used to invoke commands. This
         #   defaults to "sh". Setting this to false causes Capistrano to invoke
         #   the commands directly, without wrapping them in a shell invocation.
@@ -159,12 +159,26 @@ module Capistrano
         # use, but should instead be called indirectly, via #run or #parallel,
         # or #invoke_command.
         def run_tree(tree, options={}) #:nodoc:
-          if tree.branches.empty? && tree.fallback
-            logger.debug "executing #{tree.fallback}" unless options[:silent]
-          elsif tree.branches.any?
-            logger.debug "executing multiple commands in parallel"
-            tree.each do |branch|
-              logger.trace "-> #{branch}"
+          options = add_default_command_options(options)
+
+          if tree.branches.any? || tree.fallback
+            _, servers = filter_servers(options)
+            branches = servers.map{|server| tree.branches_for(server)}.compact
+            case branches.size
+            when 0
+              branches = tree.branches.dup + [tree.fallback]
+              case branches.size
+              when 1
+                logger.debug "no servers for #{branches.first}"
+              else
+                logger.debug "no servers for commands"
+                branches.each{ |branch| logger.trace "-> #{branch.to_s(true)}" }
+              end
+            when 1
+              logger.debug "executing #{branches.first}" unless options[:silent]
+            else
+              logger.debug "executing multiple commands in parallel"
+              branches.each{ |branch| logger.trace "-> #{branch.to_s(true)}" }
             end
           else
             raise ArgumentError, "attempt to execute without specifying a command"
@@ -172,8 +186,6 @@ module Capistrano
 
           return if dry_run || (debug && continue_execution(tree) == false)
 
-          options = add_default_command_options(options)
-
           tree.each do |branch|
             if branch.command.include?(sudo)
               branch.callback = sudo_behavior_callback(branch.callback)
@@ -279,7 +291,7 @@ module Capistrano
         def sudo_prompt
           fetch(:sudo_prompt, "sudo password: ")
         end
-        
+
         def continue_execution(tree)
           if tree.branches.length == 1
             continue_execution_for_branch(tree.branches.first)
diff --git a/lib/capistrano/configuration/connections.rb b/lib/capistrano/configuration/connections.rb
index 14ded39d..3c13b258 100644
--- a/lib/capistrano/configuration/connections.rb
+++ b/lib/capistrano/configuration/connections.rb
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ module Capistrano
             end
           end
         end
-        
+
         def connect_to(server)
           @options[:logger].debug "establishing connection to `#{server}' via gateway" if @options[:logger]
           local_host = ServerDefinition.new("127.0.0.1", :user => server.user, :port => gateway_for(server).open(server.host, server.port || 22))
@@ -147,37 +147,43 @@ module Capistrano
         end
       end
 
-      # Determines the set of servers within the current task's scope and
-      # establishes connections to them, and then yields that list of
-      # servers.
-      def execute_on_servers(options={})
-        raise ArgumentError, "expected a block" unless block_given?
-
+      # Determines the set of servers within the current task's scope
+      def filter_servers(options={})
         if task = current_task
           servers = find_servers_for_task(task, options)
 
           if servers.empty?
             if ENV['HOSTFILTER'] || task.options.merge(options)[:on_no_matching_servers] == :continue
               logger.info "skipping `#{task.fully_qualified_name}' because no servers matched"
-              return
             else
-              raise Capistrano::NoMatchingServersError, "`#{task.fully_qualified_name}' is only run for servers matching #{task.options.inspect}, but no servers matched"
+              unless dry_run
+                raise Capistrano::NoMatchingServersError, "`#{task.fully_qualified_name}' is only run for servers matching #{task.options.inspect}, but no servers matched"
+              end
             end
           end
 
           if task.continue_on_error?
             servers.delete_if { |s| has_failed?(s) }
-            return if servers.empty?
           end
         else
           servers = find_servers(options)
-          if servers.empty?
+          if servers.empty? && !dry_run
             raise Capistrano::NoMatchingServersError, "no servers found to match #{options.inspect}" if options[:on_no_matching_servers] != :continue
-            return
           end
         end
 
         servers = [servers.first] if options[:once]
+        [task, servers.compact]
+      end
+
+      # Determines the set of servers within the current task's scope and
+      # establishes connections to them, and then yields that list of
+      # servers.
+      def execute_on_servers(options={})
+        raise ArgumentError, "expected a block" unless block_given?
+
+        task, servers = filter_servers(options)
+        return if servers.empty?
         logger.trace "servers: #{servers.map { |s| s.host }.inspect}"
 
         max_hosts = (options[:max_hosts] || (task && task.max_hosts) || servers.size).to_i
diff --git a/test/configuration/actions/invocation_test.rb b/test/configuration/actions/invocation_test.rb
index 0838b275..fb0c91da 100644
--- a/test/configuration/actions/invocation_test.rb
+++ b/test/configuration/actions/invocation_test.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ class ConfigurationActionsInvocationTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
     attr_reader :options
     attr_accessor :debug
     attr_accessor :dry_run
-		attr_accessor :preserve_roles
+    attr_accessor :preserve_roles
     attr_accessor :servers
 
     def initialize
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ class ConfigurationActionsInvocationTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
       @options.fetch(*args)
     end
 
+    def filter_servers(options = {})
+      [nil, @servers]
+    end
+
     def execute_on_servers(options = {})
       yield @servers
     end
diff --git a/test/configuration/connections_test.rb b/test/configuration/connections_test.rb
index ad896517..6b03f279 100644
--- a/test/configuration/connections_test.rb
+++ b/test/configuration/connections_test.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ class ConfigurationConnectionsTest < Test::Unit::TestCase
   class MockConfig
     attr_reader :original_initialize_called
     attr_reader :values
+    attr_reader :dry_run
     attr_accessor :current_task
 
     def initialize