--- a/mercurial/hg.py
+++ b/mercurial/hg.py
@@ -471,6 +471,22 @@
             displayer.show(other[n])
     return _incoming(display, subreporecurse, ui, repo, source, opts)
 
+def _outgoing(ui, repo, dest, opts):
+    dest = ui.expandpath(dest or 'default-push', dest or 'default')
+    dest, branches = parseurl(dest, opts.get('branch'))
+    revs, checkout = addbranchrevs(repo, repo, branches, opts.get('rev'))
+    if revs:
+        revs = [repo.lookup(rev) for rev in revs]
+
+    other = repository(remoteui(repo, opts), dest)
+    ui.status(_('comparing with %s\n') % url.hidepassword(dest))
+    o = discovery.findoutgoing(repo, other, force=opts.get('force'))
+    if not o:
+        ui.status(_("no changes found\n"))
+        return None
+
+    return repo.changelog.nodesbetween(o, revs)[0]
+
 def outgoing(ui, repo, dest, opts):
     def recurse():
         ret = 1
@@ -482,20 +498,10 @@
         return ret
 
     limit = cmdutil.loglimit(opts)
-    dest = ui.expandpath(dest or 'default-push', dest or 'default')
-    dest, branches = parseurl(dest, opts.get('branch'))
-    revs, checkout = addbranchrevs(repo, repo, branches, opts.get('rev'))
-    if revs:
-        revs = [repo.lookup(rev) for rev in revs]
-
-    other = repository(remoteui(repo, opts), dest)
-    ui.status(_('comparing with %s\n') % url.hidepassword(dest))
-    o = discovery.findoutgoing(repo, other, force=opts.get('force'))
-    if not o:
-        ui.status(_("no changes found\n"))
+    o = _outgoing(ui, repo, dest, opts)
+    if o is None:
         return recurse()
 
-    o = repo.changelog.nodesbetween(o, revs)[0]
     if opts.get('newest_first'):
         o.reverse()
     displayer = cmdutil.show_changeset(ui, repo, opts)