diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ demandload(globals(), "errno socket vers
 class UnknownCommand(Exception):
     """Exception raised if command is not in the command table."""
 
-class Abort(Exception):
-    """Raised if a command needs to print an error and exit."""
-
 def filterfiles(filters, files):
     l = [x for x in files if x in filters]
 
@@ -39,8 +36,8 @@ def relpath(repo, args):
                 for x in args]
     return args
 
-def matchpats(cwd, pats = [], opts = {}, head = ''):
-    return util.matcher(cwd, pats or ['.'], opts.get('include'),
+def matchpats(repo, cwd, pats = [], opts = {}, head = ''):
+    return util.matcher(repo, cwd, pats or ['.'], opts.get('include'),
                         opts.get('exclude'), head)
 
 def pathto(n1, n2):
@@ -55,7 +52,7 @@ def pathto(n1, n2):
 
 def makewalk(repo, pats, opts, head = ''):
     cwd = repo.getcwd()
-    files, matchfn = matchpats(cwd, pats, opts, head)
+    files, matchfn = matchpats(repo, cwd, pats, opts, head)
     def walk():
         for src, fn in repo.walk(files = files, match = matchfn):
             yield src, fn, pathto(cwd, fn)
@@ -89,7 +86,7 @@ def revrange(ui, repo, revs, revlog=None
                 try:
                     num = revlog.rev(revlog.lookup(val))
                 except KeyError:
-                    raise Abort('invalid revision identifier %s', val)
+                    raise util.Abort('invalid revision identifier %s', val)
         return num
     for spec in revs:
         if spec.find(revrangesep) >= 0:
@@ -144,7 +141,7 @@ def make_filename(repo, r, pat, node=Non
             i += 1
         return ''.join(newname)
     except KeyError, inst:
-        raise Abort("invalid format spec '%%%s' in output file name",
+        raise util.Abort("invalid format spec '%%%s' in output file name",
                     inst.args[0])
 
 def make_file(repo, r, pat, node=None,
@@ -387,7 +384,7 @@ def annotate(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
             return name
 
     if not pats:
-        raise Abort('at least one file name or pattern required')
+        raise util.Abort('at least one file name or pattern required')
 
     bcache = {}
     opmap = [['user', getname], ['number', str], ['changeset', getnode]]
@@ -501,7 +498,7 @@ def commit(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     if not pats and cwd:
         opts['include'] = [os.path.join(cwd, i) for i in opts['include']]
         opts['exclude'] = [os.path.join(cwd, x) for x in opts['exclude']]
-    fns, match = matchpats((pats and repo.getcwd()) or '', pats, opts)
+    fns, match = matchpats(repo, (pats and repo.getcwd()) or '', pats, opts)
     if pats:
         c, a, d, u = repo.changes(files = fns, match = match)
         files = c + a + [fn for fn in d if repo.dirstate.state(fn) == 'r']
@@ -543,7 +540,7 @@ def debugcheckstate(ui, repo):
             ui.warn("%s in manifest1, but listed as state %s" % (f, state))
             errors += 1
     if errors:
-        raise Abort(".hg/dirstate inconsistent with current parent's manifest")
+        raise util.Abort(".hg/dirstate inconsistent with current parent's manifest")
 
 def debugstate(ui, repo):
     """show the contents of the current dirstate"""
@@ -592,7 +589,7 @@ def diff(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
         revs = map(lambda x: repo.lookup(x), opts['rev'])
 
     if len(revs) > 2:
-        raise Abort("too many revisions to diff")
+        raise util.Abort("too many revisions to diff")
 
     files = []
     roots, match, results = makewalk(repo, pats, opts)
@@ -626,7 +623,7 @@ def doexport(ui, repo, changeset, seqno,
 def export(ui, repo, *changesets, **opts):
     """dump the header and diffs for one or more changesets"""
     if not changesets:
-        raise Abort("export requires at least one changeset")
+        raise util.Abort("export requires at least one changeset")
     seqno = 0
     revs = list(revrange(ui, repo, changesets))
     total = len(revs)
@@ -722,7 +719,7 @@ def import_(ui, repo, patch1, *patches, 
                     files.append(pf)
         patcherr = f.close()
         if patcherr:
-            raise Abort("patch failed")
+            raise util.Abort("patch failed")
 
         if len(files) > 0:
             addremove(ui, repo, *files)
@@ -732,7 +729,7 @@ def init(ui, source=None):
     """create a new repository in the current directory"""
 
     if source:
-        raise Abort("no longer supported: use \"hg clone\" instead")
+        raise util.Abort("no longer supported: use \"hg clone\" instead")
     hg.repository(ui, ".", create=1)
 
 def locate(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
@@ -1037,7 +1034,7 @@ def status(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     ? = not tracked'''
 
     cwd = repo.getcwd()
-    files, matchfn = matchpats(cwd, pats, opts)
+    files, matchfn = matchpats(repo, cwd, pats, opts)
     (c, a, d, u) = [[pathto(cwd, x) for x in n]
                     for n in repo.changes(files=files, match=matchfn)]
 
@@ -1420,8 +1417,6 @@ def dispatch(args):
             if options['traceback']:
                 traceback.print_exc()
             raise
-    except util.CommandError, inst:
-        u.warn("abort: %s\n" % inst.args)
     except hg.RepoError, inst:
         u.warn("abort: ", inst, "!\n")
     except SignalInterrupt:
@@ -1449,7 +1444,7 @@ def dispatch(args):
             u.warn("abort: %s: %s\n" % (inst.strerror, inst.filename))
         else:
             u.warn("abort: %s\n" % inst.strerror)
-    except Abort, inst:
+    except util.Abort, inst:
         u.warn('abort: ', inst.args[0] % inst.args[1:], '\n')
         sys.exit(1)
     except TypeError, inst: