diff --git a/dvc/repo/experiments/apply.py b/dvc/repo/experiments/apply.py
index c0a676641..88f657f97 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/experiments/apply.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/experiments/apply.py
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 @scm_context
 def apply(repo, rev, force=True, **kwargs):
     from dvc.repo.checkout import checkout as dvc_checkout
-    from dvc.scm.base import MergeConflictError, SCMError
+    from dvc.scm.base import SCMError
+    from dvc.scm.exceptions import MergeConflictError
 
     exps = repo.experiments
 
diff --git a/dvc/repo/scm_context.py b/dvc/repo/scm_context.py
index 5043710c0..8711c97e1 100644
--- a/dvc/repo/scm_context.py
+++ b/dvc/repo/scm_context.py
@@ -37,15 +37,29 @@ class SCMContext:
         return self.scm.add(self.files_to_track)
 
     def ignore(self, path: str) -> None:
+        from dvc.scm.base import SCMError
+        from dvc.scm.exceptions import FileNotInRepoError
+
         logger.debug("Adding '%s' to gitignore file.", path)
-        gitignore_file = self.scm.ignore(path)
+        try:
+            gitignore_file = self.scm.ignore(path)
+        except FileNotInRepoError as exc:
+            raise SCMError(str(exc))
+
         if gitignore_file:
             self.track_file(gitignore_file)
             return self.ignored_paths.append(path)
 
     def ignore_remove(self, path: str) -> None:
+        from dvc.scm.base import SCMError
+        from dvc.scm.exceptions import FileNotInRepoError
+
         logger.debug("Removing '%s' from gitignore file.", path)
-        gitignore_file = self.scm.ignore_remove(path)
+        try:
+            gitignore_file = self.scm.ignore_remove(path)
+        except FileNotInRepoError as exc:
+            raise SCMError(str(exc))
+
         if gitignore_file:
             return self.track_file(gitignore_file)
 
diff --git a/dvc/scm/base.py b/dvc/scm/base.py
index 9fda3afa9..e29a05fb0 100644
--- a/dvc/scm/base.py
+++ b/dvc/scm/base.py
@@ -9,12 +9,6 @@ class SCMError(DvcException):
     """Base class for source control management errors."""
 
 
-class FileNotInRepoError(SCMError):
-    """Thrown when trying to find .gitignore for a file that is not in a scm
-    repository.
-    """
-
-
 class CloneError(SCMError):
     def __init__(self, url, path):
         super().__init__(f"Failed to clone repo '{url}' to '{path}'")
@@ -34,10 +28,6 @@ class NoSCMError(SCMError):
         super().__init__(msg)
 
 
-class MergeConflictError(SCMError):
-    pass
-
-
 class InvalidRemoteSCMRepo(SCMError):
     def __init__(self, url: str):
         msg = f"'{url}' is not a valid Git remote or URL"
diff --git a/dvc/scm/exceptions.py b/dvc/scm/exceptions.py
index 1c8202044..cca9307a0 100644
--- a/dvc/scm/exceptions.py
+++ b/dvc/scm/exceptions.py
@@ -6,3 +6,13 @@ class GitHookAlreadyExists(SCMError):
     def __init__(self, name: str) -> None:
         self.name = name
         super().__init__(f"Hook '{name}' already exists")
+
+
+class FileNotInRepoError(SCMError):
+    """Thrown when trying to find .gitignore for a file that is not in a scm
+    repository.
+    """
+
+
+class MergeConflictError(SCMError):
+    pass
diff --git a/dvc/scm/git/__init__.py b/dvc/scm/git/__init__.py
index 74db062a9..756416529 100644
--- a/dvc/scm/git/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/scm/git/__init__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ from typing import Dict, Iterable, Optional, Tuple, Type
 from funcy import cached_property, first
 from pathspec.patterns import GitWildMatchPattern
 
-from dvc.scm.base import Base, FileNotInRepoError, RevError
+from dvc.scm.base import Base, RevError
+from dvc.scm.exceptions import FileNotInRepoError
 from dvc.utils import relpath
 from dvc.utils.fs import path_isin
 
diff --git a/dvc/scm/git/backend/gitpython.py b/dvc/scm/git/backend/gitpython.py
index e9b245aea..61715a3a8 100644
--- a/dvc/scm/git/backend/gitpython.py
+++ b/dvc/scm/git/backend/gitpython.py
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ from typing import (
 from funcy import ignore
 
 from dvc.progress import Tqdm
-from dvc.scm.base import CloneError, MergeConflictError, RevError, SCMError
+from dvc.scm.base import CloneError, RevError, SCMError
+from dvc.scm.exceptions import MergeConflictError
 from dvc.utils import fix_env, is_binary, relpath
 
 from ..objects import GitCommit, GitObject
diff --git a/dvc/scm/git/backend/pygit2.py b/dvc/scm/git/backend/pygit2.py
index 891f21d32..bf0be8efd 100644
--- a/dvc/scm/git/backend/pygit2.py
+++ b/dvc/scm/git/backend/pygit2.py
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ from typing import (
 
 from funcy import cached_property
 
-from dvc.scm.base import MergeConflictError, RevError, SCMError
+from dvc.scm.base import RevError, SCMError
+from dvc.scm.exceptions import MergeConflictError
 from dvc.utils import relpath
 
 from ..objects import GitCommit, GitObject
diff --git a/tests/unit/scm/test_git.py b/tests/unit/scm/test_git.py
index e578cb283..e98c1849c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/scm/test_git.py
+++ b/tests/unit/scm/test_git.py
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ def test_commit_no_verify(tmp_dir, scm, git, hook):
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("squash", [True, False])
 def test_merge(tmp_dir, scm, git, squash):
-    from dvc.scm.base import MergeConflictError
+    from dvc.scm.exceptions import MergeConflictError
 
     if git.test_backend == "dulwich":
         pytest.skip()
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ def test_checkout_index(tmp_dir, scm, git):
     "strategy, expected", [("ours", "baz"), ("theirs", "bar")]
 )
 def test_checkout_index_conflicts(tmp_dir, scm, git, strategy, expected):
-    from dvc.scm.base import MergeConflictError
+    from dvc.scm.exceptions import MergeConflictError
 
     if git.test_backend == "dulwich":
         pytest.skip()