diff --git a/flake8/main/mercurial.py b/flake8/main/mercurial.py
index 54725c6..10e5c06 100644
--- a/flake8/main/mercurial.py
+++ b/flake8/main/mercurial.py
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ def install():
     """Ensure that the mercurial hooks are installed."""
     hgrc = find_hgrc(create_if_missing=True)
     if hgrc is None:
-        print('Could not locate your root mercurial repository.')
-        raise SystemExit(True)
+        return False
 
     hgconfig = configparser_for(hgrc)
 
@@ -76,6 +75,8 @@ def install():
     with open(hgrc, 'w') as fd:
         hgconfig.write(fd)
 
+    return True
+
 
 def find_hgrc(create_if_missing=False):
     root = subprocess.Popen(
diff --git a/flake8/main/vcs.py b/flake8/main/vcs.py
index 10e6256..6f7499e 100644
--- a/flake8/main/vcs.py
+++ b/flake8/main/vcs.py
@@ -22,12 +22,16 @@ def install(option, option_string, value, parser):
     """
     installer = _INSTALLERS.get(value)
     errored = False
+    successful = False
     try:
-        installer()
+        successful = installer()
     except exc.HookInstallationError as hook_error:
         print(str(hook_error))
         errored = True
-    raise SystemExit(errored)
+
+    if not successful:
+        print('Could not find the {0} directory'.format(value))
+    raise SystemExit(not successful and errored)
 
 
 def choices():