diff --git a/tasks/cephfs/vstart_runner.py b/tasks/cephfs/vstart_runner.py
index 579e11d6bf2..3b90afb78de 100644
--- a/tasks/cephfs/vstart_runner.py
+++ b/tasks/cephfs/vstart_runner.py
@@ -92,7 +92,10 @@ class LocalRemoteProcess(object):
         if self.finished:
             # Avoid calling communicate() on a dead process because it'll
             # give you stick about std* already being closed
-            return
+            if self.exitstatus != 0:
+                raise CommandFailedError(self.args, self.exitstatus)
+            else:
+                return
 
         out, err = self.subproc.communicate()
         self.stdout.write(out)