diff --git a/leiningen-core/src/leiningen/core/user.clj b/leiningen-core/src/leiningen/core/user.clj
index 8b81daeb..154c4064 100644
--- a/leiningen-core/src/leiningen/core/user.clj
+++ b/leiningen-core/src/leiningen/core/user.clj
@@ -70,18 +70,28 @@
   []
   (or (System/getenv "LEIN_GPG") "gpg"))
 
+(defn gpg
+  "Shells out to (gpg-program) with the given arguments"
+  [& args]
+  (try
+    (apply shell/sh (gpg-program) args)
+    (catch java.io.IOException e
+      {:exit 1 :err (.getMessage e)})))
+
+(defn gpg-available?
+  "Verifies (gpg-program) exists"
+  []
+  (= 0 (:exit (gpg "--version"))))
+
 (defn credentials-fn
   "Decrypt map from credentials.clj.gpg in Leiningen home if present."
   ([] (let [cred-file (io/file (leiningen-home) "credentials.clj.gpg")]
         (if (.exists cred-file)
           (credentials-fn cred-file))))
   ([file]
-     (let [{:keys [out err exit]} (try (shell/sh
-                                        (gpg-program)
-                                        "--quiet" "--batch"
-                                        "--decrypt" "--" (str file))
-                                       (catch java.io.IOException e
-                                         {:exit 1 :err (.getMessage e)}))]
+     (let [{:keys [out err exit]} (gpg 
+                                   "--quiet" "--batch"
+                                   "--decrypt" "--" (str file))]
        (if (pos? exit)
          (binding [*out* *err*]
            (println "Could not decrypt credentials from" (str file))
diff --git a/src/leiningen/deploy.clj b/src/leiningen/deploy.clj
index 153eda65..33ea18b3 100644
--- a/src/leiningen/deploy.clj
+++ b/src/leiningen/deploy.clj
@@ -54,10 +54,9 @@
         (add-auth-interactively))))
 
 (defn sign [file]
-  (let [exit (binding [*out* (java.io.StringWriter.)]
-               (eval/sh (user/gpg-program) "--yes" "-ab" "--" file))]
+  (let [{:keys [err exit]} (user/gpg "--yes" "-ab" "--" file)]
     (when-not (zero? exit)
-      (main/abort "Could not sign" file))
+      (main/abort "Could not sign" (str file "\n" err)))
     (str file ".asc")))
 
 (defn signature-for [extension file]
diff --git a/src/leiningen/deps.clj b/src/leiningen/deps.clj
index a2d27e20..c5214e46 100644
--- a/src/leiningen/deps.clj
+++ b/src/leiningen/deps.clj
@@ -65,20 +65,17 @@
 (defn- fetch-key [signature err]
   (if (re-find #"Can't check signature: public key not found" err)
     (let [key (second (re-find #"using \w+ key ID (.+)" err))
-          exit (eval/sh (user/gpg-program) "--recv-keys" "--" key)]
+          {:keys [exit]} (user/gpg "--recv-keys" "--" key)]
       (if (zero? exit)
         (check-signature signature)
         :no-key))
     :bad-signature))
 
 (defn- check-signature [signature]
-  (let [err (java.io.StringWriter.)
-        out (java.io.StringWriter.)
-        exit (binding [*err* (java.io.PrintWriter. err), *out* out]
-               (eval/sh (user/gpg-program) "--verify" "--" (str signature)))]
+  (let [{:keys [err exit]} (user/gpg "--verify" "--" (str signature))]
     (if (zero? exit)
       :signed ; TODO distinguish between signed and trusted
-      (fetch-key signature (str err)))))
+      (fetch-key signature err))))
 
 (defn- get-signature [project dep]
   (let [dep-map (assoc (apply hash-map (drop 2 dep))
@@ -137,8 +134,10 @@ force them to be updated, use `lein -U $TASK`."
                (walk-deps hierarchy
                           print-dep))
              (= command ":verify")
-             (walk-deps (classpath/dependency-hierarchy :dependencies project)
-                        (partial verify project))
+             (if (user/gpg-available?)
+               (walk-deps (classpath/dependency-hierarchy :dependencies project)
+                          (partial verify project))
+               (main/abort "Could not verify - gpg not available"))
              :else (classpath/resolve-dependencies :dependencies project))
        (catch DependencyResolutionException e
          (main/abort (.getMessage e))))))