diff --git a/mercurial/exchange.py b/mercurial/exchange.py
--- a/mercurial/exchange.py
+++ b/mercurial/exchange.py
@@ -1034,6 +1034,12 @@
         return 'delete'
     return 'update'
 
+def _abortonsecretctx(pushop, node, b):
+    """abort if a given bookmark points to a secret changeset"""
+    if node and pushop.repo[node].phase() == phases.secret:
+        raise error.Abort(_('cannot push bookmark %s as it points to a secret'
+                            ' changeset') % b)
+
 def _pushb2bookmarkspart(pushop, bundler):
     pushop.stepsdone.add('bookmarks')
     if not pushop.outbookmarks:
@@ -1042,6 +1048,7 @@
     allactions = []
     data = []
     for book, old, new in pushop.outbookmarks:
+        _abortonsecretctx(pushop, new, book)
         new = bin(new)
         data.append((book, new))
         allactions.append((book, _bmaction(old, new)))
@@ -1070,6 +1077,7 @@
         assert False
 
     for book, old, new in pushop.outbookmarks:
+        _abortonsecretctx(pushop, new, book)
         part = bundler.newpart('pushkey')
         part.addparam('namespace', enc('bookmarks'))
         part.addparam('key', enc(book))
diff --git a/tests/test-bookmarks-pushpull.t b/tests/test-bookmarks-pushpull.t
--- a/tests/test-bookmarks-pushpull.t
+++ b/tests/test-bookmarks-pushpull.t
@@ -1349,7 +1349,7 @@
   pushing to $TESTTMP/issue6159remote
   searching for changes
   no changes found (ignored 1 secret changesets)
-  abort: updating bookmark foo failed!
+  abort: cannot push bookmark foo as it points to a secret changeset
   [255]
 #endif
 
@@ -1358,25 +1358,6 @@
   pushing to $TESTTMP/issue6159remote
   searching for changes
   no changes found (ignored 1 secret changesets)
-  updating bookmark foo
-  [1]
-#endif
-
-Now the "remote" repo contains a bookmark pointing to a nonexistent revision
-  $ cd ../issue6159remote
-#if b2-pushkey
-  $ hg bookmark
-   * foo                       0:1599bc8b897a
-  $ hg log -r 1599bc8b897a
-  0:1599bc8b897a _ (no-eol)
-#endif
-
-#if b2-binary
-  $ hg bookmark
-  no bookmarks set
-  $ cat .hg/bookmarks
-  cf489fd8a374cab73c2dc19e899bde6fe3a43f8f foo
-  $ hg log -r cf489fd8a374
-  abort: unknown revision 'cf489fd8a374'!
+  abort: cannot push bookmark foo as it points to a secret changeset
   [255]
 #endif