diff --git a/core/commands/pin.go b/core/commands/pin.go
index 01fbafca79c4..8668a1b53dd8 100644
--- a/core/commands/pin.go
+++ b/core/commands/pin.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ var PinCmd = &cmds.Command{
 
 type PinOutput struct {
 	Pins  []string
-	Error string
+	Error string `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
 // PinUpdateOutput represents the pin update output
@@ -74,18 +74,11 @@ var addPinCmd = &cmds.Command{
 	},
 	Type: AddPinOutput{},
 	Run: func(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment) error {
-		n, err := cmdenv.GetNode(env)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
 		api, err := cmdenv.GetApi(env)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		defer n.Blockstore.PinLock().Unlock()
-
 		// set recursive flag
 		recursive, _ := req.Options[pinRecursiveOptionName].(bool)
 		showProgress, _ := req.Options[pinProgressOptionName].(bool)
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0080-repo.sh b/test/sharness/t0080-repo.sh
index 16e3042170a2..7655268bb2f3 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0080-repo.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0080-repo.sh
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ test_expect_success "pinning directly should fail now" '
 '
 
 test_expect_success "'ipfs pin rm -r=false <hash>' should fail" '
-  echo "Error: $HASH is pinned recursively" >expected4 &&
+  echo "cannot unpin $HASH: $HASH is pinned recursively" >expected4 &&
+  echo "Error: some hash not unpinned" >>expected4 &&
   test_must_fail ipfs pin rm -r=false "$HASH" 2>actual4 &&
   test_cmp expected4 actual4
 '