diff --git a/builtin/clone.c b/builtin/clone.c
index 50bde99618..4e0a16e300 100644
--- a/builtin/clone.c
+++ b/builtin/clone.c
@@ -1178,7 +1178,9 @@ int cmd_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			}
 
 		if (!is_local && !complete_refs_before_fetch)
-			transport_fetch_refs(transport, mapped_refs);
+			if (transport_fetch_refs(transport, mapped_refs))
+				die(_("could not fetch refs from %s"),
+				    transport->url);
 
 		remote_head = find_ref_by_name(refs, "HEAD");
 		remote_head_points_at =
diff --git a/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh b/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
index aaaa722cca..18cf138343 100755
--- a/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
+++ b/t/t5801-remote-helpers.sh
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ test_expect_success 'push update refs failure' '
 	echo "update fail" >>file &&
 	git commit -a -m "update fail" &&
 	git rev-parse --verify testgit/origin/heads/update >expect &&
-	test_expect_code 1 env GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_FAILURE="non-fast forward" \
+	test_must_fail env GIT_REMOTE_TESTGIT_FAILURE="non-fast forward" \
 		git push origin update &&
 	git rev-parse --verify testgit/origin/heads/update >actual &&
 	test_cmp expect actual
diff --git a/transport-helper.c b/transport-helper.c
index 41d1821fcc..72858fd2aa 100644
--- a/transport-helper.c
+++ b/transport-helper.c
@@ -466,6 +466,19 @@ static int get_exporter(struct transport *transport,
 	return start_command(fastexport);
 }
 
+static void check_helper_status(struct helper_data *data)
+{
+	int pid, status;
+
+	pid = waitpid(data->helper->pid, &status, WNOHANG);
+	if (pid < 0)
+		die("Could not retrieve status of remote helper '%s'",
+		    data->name);
+	if (pid > 0 && WIFEXITED(status))
+		die("Remote helper '%s' died with %d",
+		    data->name, WEXITSTATUS(status));
+}
+
 static int fetch_with_import(struct transport *transport,
 			     int nr_heads, struct ref **to_fetch)
 {
@@ -502,6 +515,7 @@ static int fetch_with_import(struct transport *transport,
 
 	if (finish_command(&fastimport))
 		die(_("error while running fast-import"));
+	check_helper_status(data);
 
 	/*
 	 * The fast-import stream of a remote helper that advertises
@@ -994,6 +1008,7 @@ static int push_refs_with_export(struct transport *transport,
 
 	if (finish_command(&exporter))
 		die(_("error while running fast-export"));
+	check_helper_status(data);
 	if (push_update_refs_status(data, remote_refs, flags))
 		return 1;