diff --git a/decision_maker.go b/decision_maker.go
index ec6e5f93..ae1a82f0 100644
--- a/decision_maker.go
+++ b/decision_maker.go
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ func diffRelease(r *release) string {
 	}
 
 	if exitCode, msg = cmd.exec(debug, verbose); exitCode != 0 {
-		logError("Command returned with exit code: " + string(exitCode) + ". And error message: " + msg)
+		logError(fmt.Sprintf("Command returned with exit code: %d. And error message: %s ", exitCode, msg))
 	} else {
 		if (verbose || showDiff) && msg != "" {
 			fmt.Println(msg)
diff --git a/decision_maker_test.go b/decision_maker_test.go
index 42cf4333..4dd40226 100644
--- a/decision_maker_test.go
+++ b/decision_maker_test.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func Test_inspectUpgradeScenario(t *testing.T){
 					Name:      "release1",
 					Namespace: "namespace",
 					Version: "1.0.0",
-					Chart: "/local/charts",
+					Chart: "./test_files/chart-test",
 					Enabled:   true,
 				},
 				s: releaseState{
diff --git a/helm_helpers.go b/helm_helpers.go
index 75bb7afb..49c8ba70 100644
--- a/helm_helpers.go
+++ b/helm_helpers.go
@@ -331,15 +331,15 @@ func getChartVersion(r *release) (string, string) {
 	}
 
 	if exitCode, result := cmd.exec(debug, verbose); exitCode != 0 || strings.Contains(result, "No results found") {
-		return "", "ERROR: chart " + r.Chart + " with version " + r.Version + " is specified for " + "but version is not found in the defined repo."
+		return "", "ERROR: chart " + r.Chart + " with version " + r.Version + " is specified but not found in the helm repos."
 	} else {
 		versions := strings.Split(result, "\n")
 		if len(versions) < 2 {
-			return "", "ERROR: chart " + r.Chart + " with version " + r.Version + " is specified for " + "but version is not found in the defined repo."
+			return "", "ERROR: chart " + r.Chart + " with version " + r.Version + " is specified but not found in the helm repos (unrecognized helm output?)."
 		}
 		fields := strings.Split(versions[1], "\t")
 		if len(fields) != 4 {
-			return "", "ERROR: chart " + r.Chart + " with version " + r.Version + " is specified for " + "but version is not found in the defined repo."
+			return "", "ERROR: chart " + r.Chart + " with version " + r.Version + " is specified but not found in the helm repos (unrecognized helm output?)."
 		}
 		return strings.TrimSpace(fields[1]), ""
 	}
diff --git a/helm_helpers_test.go b/helm_helpers_test.go
index 57f0c243..547c91e3 100644
--- a/helm_helpers_test.go
+++ b/helm_helpers_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ func setupTestCase(t *testing.T) func(t *testing.T) {
 		Description: "creating an empty local chart directory",
 	}
 	if exitCode, msg := cmd.exec(debug, verbose); exitCode != 0 {
-		logError("Command returned with exit code: " + string(exitCode) + ". And error message: " + msg)
+		logError(fmt.Sprintf("Command returned with exit code: %d. And error message: %s ", exitCode, msg))
 	}
 
 	return func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ func Test_getChartVersion(t *testing.T) {
 					Name:      "release1",
 					Namespace: "namespace",
 					Version: "1.0.0",
-					Chart: "/local/charts",
+					Chart: "./test_files/chart-test",
 					Enabled:   true,
 				},
 			},
@@ -388,4 +389,4 @@ func Test_getChartVersion(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		})
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/plan.go b/plan.go
index 8d44a7ce..40f4e8bf 100644
--- a/plan.go
+++ b/plan.go
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func (p plan) execPlan() {
 			if errorMsg = msg; !verbose {
 				errorMsg = strings.Split(msg, "---")[0]
 			}
-			logError("Command returned with exit code: " + string(exitCode) + ". And error message: " + errorMsg)
+			logError(fmt.Sprintf("Command returned with exit code: %d. And error message: %s ", exitCode, errorMsg))
 		} else {
 			log.Println(style.Cyan(msg))
 			if cmd.targetRelease != nil && !dryRun {
diff --git a/test_files/chart-test/Chart.yaml b/test_files/chart-test/Chart.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27cbcc07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_files/chart-test/Chart.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+apiVersion: v1
+name: chart-test
+version: 1.0.0
diff --git a/utils.go b/utils.go
index 555a615c..3788c484 100644
--- a/utils.go
+++ b/utils.go
@@ -521,7 +521,11 @@ func Indent(s, prefix string) string {
 
 // isLocalChart checks if a chart specified in the DSF is a local directory or not
 func isLocalChart(chart string) bool {
-	return filepath.IsAbs(chart)
+	_, err := os.Stat(chart)
+	if err == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
 }
 
 func generateCmdDescription(r *release, action string) string {
@@ -543,4 +547,4 @@ func generateDecisionMessage(r *release, message string, isTillerAware bool) str
 		return fmt.Sprintf(baseMessage + " %s", tillerNamespaceMsg)
 	}
 	return baseMessage
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}