diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller.rb
index 06ce7328fb5..557671ab186 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller.rb
@@ -10,10 +10,7 @@ class Projects::PipelinesSettingsController < Projects::ApplicationController
       if service.execute
         flash[:notice] = "Pipelines settings for '#{@project.name}' were successfully updated."
 
-        if service.run_auto_devops_pipeline?
-          CreatePipelineWorker.perform_async(project.id, current_user.id, project.default_branch, :web, ignore_skip_ci: true, save_on_errors: false)
-          flash[:success] = "A new Auto DevOps pipeline has been created, go to <a href=\"#{project_pipelines_path(@project)}\">Pipelines page</a> for details".html_safe
-        end
+        run_autodevops_pipeline(service)
 
         redirect_to project_settings_ci_cd_path(@project)
       else
@@ -24,6 +21,18 @@ class Projects::PipelinesSettingsController < Projects::ApplicationController
 
   private
 
+  def run_autodevops_pipeline(service)
+    return unless service.run_auto_devops_pipeline?
+
+    if @project.empty_repo?
+      flash[:warning] = "This repository is currently empty. A new Auto DevOps pipeline will be created after a new file has been pushed to a branch."
+      return
+    end
+
+    CreatePipelineWorker.perform_async(project.id, current_user.id, project.default_branch, :web, ignore_skip_ci: true, save_on_errors: false)
+    flash[:success] = "A new Auto DevOps pipeline has been created, go to <a href=\"#{project_pipelines_path(@project)}\">Pipelines page</a> for details".html_safe
+  end
+
   def update_params
     params.require(:project).permit(
       :runners_token, :builds_enabled, :build_allow_git_fetch,
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/43482-enabling-auto-devops-on-an-empty-project-gives-you-wrong-information.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/43482-enabling-auto-devops-on-an-empty-project-gives-you-wrong-information.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..889fd008bad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/43482-enabling-auto-devops-on-an-empty-project-gives-you-wrong-information.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Add empty repo check before running AutoDevOps pipeline
+merge_request: 17605
+author:
+type: changed
diff --git a/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller_spec.rb
index 1cc488bef32..913b9bd804a 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/projects/pipelines_settings_controller_spec.rb
@@ -47,10 +47,32 @@ describe Projects::PipelinesSettingsController do
           expect_any_instance_of(Projects::UpdateService).to receive(:run_auto_devops_pipeline?).and_return(true)
         end
 
-        it 'queues a CreatePipelineWorker' do
-          expect(CreatePipelineWorker).to receive(:perform_async).with(project.id, user.id, project.default_branch, :web, any_args)
+        context 'when the project repository is empty' do
+          it 'sets a warning flash' do
+            expect(subject).to set_flash[:warning]
+          end
 
-          subject
+          it 'does not queue a CreatePipelineWorker' do
+            expect(CreatePipelineWorker).not_to receive(:perform_async).with(project.id, user.id, project.default_branch, :web, any_args)
+
+            subject
+          end
+        end
+
+        context 'when the project repository is not empty' do
+          let(:project) { create(:project, :repository) }
+
+          it 'sets a success flash' do
+            allow(CreatePipelineWorker).to receive(:perform_async).with(project.id, user.id, project.default_branch, :web, any_args)
+
+            expect(subject).to set_flash[:success]
+          end
+
+          it 'queues a CreatePipelineWorker' do
+            expect(CreatePipelineWorker).to receive(:perform_async).with(project.id, user.id, project.default_branch, :web, any_args)
+
+            subject
+          end
         end
       end