diff --git a/dvc/command/remote.py b/dvc/command/remote.py
index 8c6dbc3ef..683c040f4 100644
--- a/dvc/command/remote.py
+++ b/dvc/command/remote.py
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ class CmdRemoteConfig(CmdConfig):
 
 class CmdRemoteAdd(CmdRemoteConfig):
     def run(self):
+        if self.args.default:
+            logger.info(
+                "Setting '{}' as a default remote.".format(self.args.name)
+            )
         self.remote_config.add(
             self.args.name,
             self.args.url,
diff --git a/dvc/external_repo.py b/dvc/external_repo.py
index 4e9c50e98..9aca3c2f9 100644
--- a/dvc/external_repo.py
+++ b/dvc/external_repo.py
@@ -73,15 +73,17 @@ def _external_repo(url=None, rev=None, cache_dir=None):
         # add default remote pointing to the original repo's cache location
         if os.path.isdir(url):
             rconfig = RemoteConfig(repo.config)
-            if not rconfig.remote_config_exists():
+            if not rconfig.remote_remote_set():
                 original_repo = Repo(url)
-                rconfig.add(
-                    "upstream",
-                    original_repo.cache.local.cache_dir,
-                    default=True,
-                    level=Config.LEVEL_LOCAL,
-                )
-                original_repo.close()
+                try:
+                    rconfig.add(
+                        "aut-generated-upstream",
+                        original_repo.cache.local.cache_dir,
+                        default=True,
+                        level=Config.LEVEL_LOCAL,
+                    )
+                finally:
+                    original_repo.close()
 
         if cache_dir is not None:
             cache_config = CacheConfig(repo.config)
diff --git a/dvc/remote/config.py b/dvc/remote/config.py
index e1dc2dfb9..b4d12baaa 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/config.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/config.py
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ class RemoteConfig(object):
             level=level,
         )
         if default:
-            logger.info("Setting '{}' as a default remote.".format(name))
             self.config.set(
                 Config.SECTION_CORE,
                 Config.SECTION_CORE_REMOTE,
@@ -157,7 +156,7 @@ class RemoteConfig(object):
             Config.SECTION_CORE, Config.SECTION_CORE_REMOTE, level=level
         )
 
-    def remote_config_exists(self):
+    def remote_remote_set(self):
         """
         Checks if default remote config is present.
         Args:
@@ -167,7 +166,7 @@ class RemoteConfig(object):
             True if the remote config exists, else False
         """
         try:
-            default = self.get_default()
+            self.get_default()
+            return True
         except ConfigError:
-            default = None
-        return bool(default)
+            return False
diff --git a/tests/func/test_external_repo.py b/tests/func/test_external_repo.py
index 4c34505a0..de2b8b20b 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_external_repo.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_external_repo.py
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
-import filecmp
 import os
 
 from mock import patch
 
-from dvc.repo import Repo
 from dvc.external_repo import external_repo
 from dvc.scm.git import Git
 from dvc.utils.fs import path_isin
@@ -28,13 +26,3 @@ def test_external_repo(erepo):
             assert path_isin(repo.cache.local.cache_dir, repo.root_dir)
 
         assert mock.call_count == 1
-
-
-def test_external_repo_import_without_remote(erepo, dvc_repo):
-    src = erepo.FOO
-    dst = os.path.join(dvc_repo.root_dir, "foo")
-
-    Repo.get(erepo.root_dir, src, dst)
-    assert os.path.exists(dst)
-    assert os.path.isfile(dst)
-    assert filecmp.cmp(erepo.FOO, dst, shallow=False)
diff --git a/tests/func/test_get.py b/tests/func/test_get.py
index 8b99547f0..07551c5f3 100644
--- a/tests/func/test_get.py
+++ b/tests/func/test_get.py
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ def test_get_from_non_dvc_master(erepo, tmp_path, monkeypatch, caplog):
     with caplog.at_level(logging.INFO, logger="dvc"):
         Repo.get(erepo._root_dir, erepo.FOO, out=imported_file, rev="branch")
 
+    assert caplog.text == ""
     assert filecmp.cmp(
         os.path.join(erepo._root_dir, erepo.FOO), imported_file, shallow=False
     )