diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4f29e1bce8..57c8e1e650 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@ To install release candidates run `[sudo] gem install cocoapods --pre`
 
 ##### Bug Fixes
 
-* None.  
-
+* Do not crash if the repos dir is not setup.  
+  [Dimitris Koutsogiorgas](https://github.com/dnkoutso)
+  [#9216](https://github.com/CocoaPods/CocoaPods/issues/9216)
 
 ## 1.8.3 (2019-10-04)
 
diff --git a/lib/cocoapods/sources_manager.rb b/lib/cocoapods/sources_manager.rb
index aecfa56b6b..b627eb0110 100644
--- a/lib/cocoapods/sources_manager.rb
+++ b/lib/cocoapods/sources_manager.rb
@@ -113,9 +113,13 @@ def update(source_name = nil, show_output = false)
         end
 
         changed_spec_paths = {}
-        # Ceate the Spec_Lock file if needed and lock it so that concurrent
+
+        # Do not perform an update if the repos dir has not been setup yet.
+        return unless repos_dir.exist?
+
+        # Create the Spec_Lock file if needed and lock it so that concurrent
         # repo updates do not cause each other to fail
-        File.open("#{Config.instance.repos_dir}/Spec_Lock", File::CREAT) do |f|
+        File.open("#{repos_dir}/Spec_Lock", File::CREAT) do |f|
           f.flock(File::LOCK_EX)
           sources.each do |source|
             UI.section "Updating spec repo `#{source.name}`" do
diff --git a/spec/unit/sources_manager_spec.rb b/spec/unit/sources_manager_spec.rb
index 800b46c51b..2d7c2651b6 100644
--- a/spec/unit/sources_manager_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/sources_manager_spec.rb
@@ -210,6 +210,11 @@ module Pod
         master.verify_compatibility!
         UI.output.should.not.match /CocoaPods 999.0 is available/
       end
+
+      it 'does not crash if the repos dir does not exist' do
+        sources_manager = Source::Manager.new(Pathname.new(Dir.tmpdir) + 'CocoaPods/RepoDir/DoesNotExist')
+        lambda { sources_manager.update }.should.not.raise
+      end
     end
   end
 end