diff --git a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
index ec5ddc4..c3c6e60 100755
--- a/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
+++ b/cherry_picker/cherry_picker.py
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ def __init__(
         self.config = config
         self.check_repo()  # may raise InvalidRepoException
 
-        self.initial_state = self.get_state_and_verify()
         """The runtime state loaded from the config.
 
         Used to verify that we resume the process from the valid
@@ -540,9 +539,10 @@ def abort_cherry_pick(self):
         """
         run `git cherry-pick --abort` and then clean up the branch
         """
-        if self.initial_state != WORKFLOW_STATES.BACKPORT_PAUSED:
+        state = self.get_state_and_verify()
+        if state != WORKFLOW_STATES.BACKPORT_PAUSED:
             raise ValueError(
-                f"One can only abort a paused process. Current state: {self.initial_state}. Expected state: {WORKFLOW_STATES.BACKPORT_PAUSED}"
+                f"One can only abort a paused process. Current state: {state}. Expected state: {WORKFLOW_STATES.BACKPORT_PAUSED}"
             )
 
         try:
@@ -572,8 +572,11 @@ def continue_cherry_pick(self):
         open the PR
         clean up branch
         """
-        if self.initial_state != WORKFLOW_STATES.BACKPORT_PAUSED:
-            raise ValueError("One can only continue a paused process.")
+        state = self.get_state_and_verify()
+        if state != WORKFLOW_STATES.BACKPORT_PAUSED:
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"One can only continue a paused process. Current state: {state}. Expected state: {WORKFLOW_STATES.BACKPORT_PAUSED}"
+            )
 
         cherry_pick_branch = get_current_branch()
         if cherry_pick_branch.startswith("backport-"):
@@ -637,8 +640,9 @@ def check_repo(self):
         """
         try:
             validate_sha(self.config["check_sha"])
-        except ValueError:
-            raise InvalidRepoException()
+            self.get_state_and_verify()
+        except ValueError as ve:
+            raise InvalidRepoException(ve.args[0])
 
     def get_state_and_verify(self):
         """Return the run progress state stored in the Git config.
diff --git a/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py b/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py
index 0cdd96b..d99ea81 100644
--- a/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py
+++ b/cherry_picker/test_cherry_picker.py
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ class tested_state:
     )
     with mock.patch(
         "cherry_picker.cherry_picker.validate_sha", return_value=True
-    ), pytest.raises(ValueError, match=expected_msg_regexp):
+    ), pytest.raises(InvalidRepoException, match=expected_msg_regexp):
         cherry_picker = CherryPicker("origin", "xxx", [])