diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/loader.py
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@
 )
 
 DEFAULT_BRANCH = b"HEAD"
-
-
 TEMPORARY_DIR_PREFIX_PATTERN = "swh.loader.svn."
+SUBVERSION_ERROR = re.compile(r".*(E[0-9]{6}):.*")
+SUBVERSION_NOT_FOUND = "E170013"
 
 
 class SvnLoader(BaseLoader):
@@ -659,6 +659,9 @@
         If the svnrdump command failed somehow,
         the produced dump file is analyzed to determine if a partial
         loading is still feasible.
+
+        Raises:
+            NotFound when the repository is no longer found at url
         """
         # Build the svnrdump command line
         svnrdump_cmd = ["svnrdump", "dump", svn_url]
@@ -676,11 +679,17 @@
             os.close(stderr_w)
             stderr_stream = OutputStream(stderr_r)
             readable = True
+            error_codes: List[str] = []
+            error_messages: List[str] = []
             while readable:
                 lines, readable = stderr_stream.read_lines()
                 stderr_lines += lines
                 for line in lines:
                     self.log.debug(line)
+                    match = SUBVERSION_ERROR.search(line)
+                    if match:
+                        error_codes.append(match.group(1))
+                        error_messages.append(lines)
             svnrdump.wait()
             os.close(stderr_r)
 
@@ -741,9 +750,14 @@
                     % (last_dumped_rev, last_loaded_svn_rev)
                 )
 
+        if SUBVERSION_NOT_FOUND in error_codes:
+            raise NotFound(
+                f"{SUBVERSION_NOT_FOUND}: Repository never existed or disappeared"
+            )
+
         raise Exception(
             "An error occurred when running svnrdump and "
-            "no exploitable dump file has been generated."
+            "no exploitable dump file has been generated.\n" + "\n".join(error_messages)
         )
 
     def prepare(self):
diff --git a/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py b/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py
--- a/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py
+++ b/swh/loader/svn/tests/test_loader.py
@@ -41,13 +41,13 @@
 
 def test_loader_svn_not_found_no_mock(swh_storage, tmp_path):
     """Given an unknown repository, the loader visit ends up in status not_found"""
-    unknown_repo_url = "unknown-repository"
-    loader = SvnLoader(swh_storage, unknown_repo_url, destination_path=tmp_path)
+    repo_url = "unknown-repository"
+    loader = SvnLoader(swh_storage, repo_url, destination_path=tmp_path)
 
     assert loader.load() == {"status": "uneventful"}
 
     assert_last_visit_matches(
-        swh_storage, unknown_repo_url, status="not_found", type="svn",
+        swh_storage, repo_url, status="not_found", type="svn",
     )
 
 
@@ -92,6 +92,21 @@
     )
 
 
+def test_loader_svnrdump_not_found(swh_storage, tmp_path, mocker):
+    """Loading from remote dump which does not exist should end up as not_found visit"""
+    unknown_repo_url = "file:///tmp/svn.code.sf.net/p/white-rats-studios/svn"
+
+    loader = SvnLoaderFromRemoteDump(
+        swh_storage, unknown_repo_url, destination_path=tmp_path
+    )
+
+    assert loader.load() == {"status": "uneventful"}
+
+    assert_last_visit_matches(
+        swh_storage, unknown_repo_url, status="not_found", type="svn",
+    )
+
+
 def test_loader_svn_new_visit(swh_storage, datadir, tmp_path):
     """Eventful visit should yield 1 snapshot"""
     archive_name = "pkg-gourmet"