diff --git a/src/client/pxar_backup_stream.rs b/src/client/pxar_backup_stream.rs
index 8e24e9bb..20228369 100644
--- a/src/client/pxar_backup_stream.rs
+++ b/src/client/pxar_backup_stream.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use failure::*;
 
 use std::thread;
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::os::unix::io::FromRawFd;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::collections::HashSet;
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ use crate::tools::wrapped_reader_stream::WrappedReaderStream;
 pub struct PxarBackupStream {
     stream: Option<WrappedReaderStream<std::fs::File>>,
     child: Option<thread::JoinHandle<()>>,
+    error: Arc<Mutex<Option<String>>>,
 }
 
 impl Drop for PxarBackupStream {
@@ -42,17 +44,26 @@ impl PxarBackupStream {
         let buffer_size = 1024*1024;
         nix::fcntl::fcntl(rx, nix::fcntl::FcntlArg::F_SETPIPE_SZ(buffer_size as i32))?;
 
+        let error = Arc::new(Mutex::new(None));
+        let error2 = error.clone();
+
         let child = thread::spawn(move|| {
             let mut writer = unsafe { std::fs::File::from_raw_fd(tx) };
             if let Err(err) = pxar::Encoder::encode(path, &mut dir, &mut writer, device_set, verbose, pxar::CA_FORMAT_DEFAULT) {
                 eprintln!("pxar encode failed - {}", err);
+                let mut error = error2.lock().unwrap();
+                *error = Some(err.to_string());
             }
         });
 
         let pipe = unsafe { std::fs::File::from_raw_fd(rx) };
         let stream = crate::tools::wrapped_reader_stream::WrappedReaderStream::new(pipe);
 
-        Ok(Self { stream: Some(stream), child: Some(child) })
+        Ok(Self {
+            stream: Some(stream),
+            child: Some(child),
+            error,
+        })
     }
 
     pub fn open(dirname: &Path, device_set: Option<HashSet<u64>>, verbose: bool) -> Result<Self, Error> {
@@ -70,6 +81,10 @@ impl Stream for PxarBackupStream {
     type Error = Error;
 
     fn poll(&mut self) -> Poll<Option<Vec<u8>>, Error> {
+        let error = self.error.lock().unwrap();
+        if let Some(ref msg) = *error {
+            return Err(format_err!("{}", msg));
+        }
         self.stream.as_mut().unwrap().poll().map_err(Error::from)
     }
 }