diff --git a/pkg/application/app.go b/pkg/application/app.go
index b4ab54296..40b7d6ed3 100644
--- a/pkg/application/app.go
+++ b/pkg/application/app.go
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func LoadFromFile(fileName string) (*Application, error) {
 	_, err = os.Stat(fileName)
 	if err != nil {
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			return newApplication(nil, tm), nil
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -60,13 +60,36 @@ func LoadFromFile(fileName string) (*Application, error) {
 	return app, app.Validate()
 }
 
+// NewEmptyApplication new empty application, only set tm
+func NewEmptyApplication() (*Application, error) {
+	tm, err := template.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return newApplication(nil, tm), nil
+}
+
+// IsNotFound is application not found error
+func IsNotFound(appName string, err error) bool {
+	return err != nil && err.Error() == fmt.Sprintf(`application "%s" not found`, appName)
+}
+
 // Load will load application with env and name from default vela home dir.
 func Load(envName, appName string) (*Application, error) {
 	appDir, err := getApplicationDir(envName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("get app dir from env %s err %w", envName, err)
 	}
-	return LoadFromFile(filepath.Join(appDir, appName+".yaml"))
+	app, err := LoadFromFile(filepath.Join(appDir, appName+".yaml"))
+
+	if err != nil {
+		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf(`application "%s" not found`, appName)
+		}
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return app, nil
 }
 
 // Delete will delete an app along with it's appfile.
diff --git a/pkg/application/app_test.go b/pkg/application/app_test.go
index da279254a..3b3b80be5 100644
--- a/pkg/application/app_test.go
+++ b/pkg/application/app_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ghodss/yaml"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -136,3 +137,18 @@ services:
 		assert.Equal(t, c.ExpTraits, traits, caseName)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestLoadNotExistsApplication(t *testing.T) {
+	caseName := "load not exists application"
+
+	now := time.Now().Unix()
+	appName := fmt.Sprintf("test-app-%d", now)
+
+	app, err := Load(types.DefaultEnvName, appName)
+
+	assert.Nil(t, app, caseName)
+	assert.Error(t, err, caseName)
+
+	errString := fmt.Sprintf(`application "%s" not found`, appName)
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, errString, caseName)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/exec.go b/pkg/commands/exec.go
index b376d0657..a49b9a761 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/exec.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/exec.go
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ func (o *VelaExecOptions) Init(ctx context.Context, c *cobra.Command, argsIn []s
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	o.Env = env
 	app, err := application.Load(env.Name, o.Args[0])
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	o.Env = env
 	o.App = app
 
 	cf := genericclioptions.NewConfigFlags(true)
diff --git a/pkg/commands/exec_test.go b/pkg/commands/exec_test.go
index bcf9de85f..3fc4559c6 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/exec_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/exec_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package commands
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -9,9 +10,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	v1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
 	"k8s.io/client-go/kubernetes/fake"
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/exec"
 	cmdtesting "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/testing"
+	k8scmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 
 	"github.com/oam-dev/kubevela/apis/types"
 	"github.com/oam-dev/kubevela/pkg/appfile"
@@ -47,7 +50,8 @@ func TestExecCommand(t *testing.T) {
 		}),
 	}
 	err := o.Init(context.Background(), cmd, []string{"fakeApp"})
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	errString := fmt.Sprintf(`application "%s" not found`, "fakeApp")
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, errString)
 	fakeApp := &application.Application{
 		AppFile: &appfile.AppFile{
 			Name: "fakeApp",
@@ -57,6 +61,10 @@ func TestExecCommand(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	o.App = fakeApp
+
+	cf := genericclioptions.NewConfigFlags(true)
+	cf.Namespace = &o.Env.Namespace
+	o.f = k8scmdutil.NewFactory(k8scmdutil.NewMatchVersionFlags(cf))
 	err = o.Complete()
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/commands/portforward_test.go b/pkg/commands/portforward_test.go
index 42cb0f8ac..a4224fec6 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/portforward_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/portforward_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package commands
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -49,7 +50,8 @@ func TestPortForwardCommand(t *testing.T) {
 		VelaC:                fakeC,
 	}
 	err := o.Init(context.Background(), cmd, []string{"fakeApp", "8081:8080"})
-	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	errString := fmt.Sprintf(`application "%s" not found`, "fakeApp")
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, errString)
 }
 
 func TestNewPortForwardCommandPersistentPreRunE(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/trait.go b/pkg/commands/trait.go
index 4cbcd51cc..8e3ddfb53 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/trait.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/trait.go
@@ -97,11 +97,11 @@ func (o *commandOptions) Prepare(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// get application
 	app, err := application.Load(o.Env.Name, o.appName)
 	if err != nil {
+		if application.IsNotFound(o.appName, err) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("the application %s doesn't exist in current env %s", o.appName, o.Env.Name)
+		}
 		return err
 	}
-	if len(app.Name) == 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("the application %s doesn't exist in current env %s", o.appName, o.Env.Name)
-	}
 
 	// get service name
 	serviceNames := app.GetComponents()
diff --git a/pkg/serverlib/workload.go b/pkg/serverlib/workload.go
index ceff2a226..d3961ec68 100644
--- a/pkg/serverlib/workload.go
+++ b/pkg/serverlib/workload.go
@@ -37,9 +37,19 @@ func LoadIfExist(envName string, workloadName string, appGroup string) (*applica
 		appName = workloadName
 	}
 	app, err := application.Load(envName, appName)
-	if err != nil {
+
+	// can't handle
+	if err != nil && !application.IsNotFound(appName, err) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+
+	// compatible application not found
+	if app == nil {
+		app, err = application.NewEmptyApplication()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
 	app.Name = appName
 
 	return app, nil