diff --git a/docker-exec-via-sock.sh b/docker-exec-via-sock.sh
index ad631f4..9547ec0 100644
--- a/docker-exec-via-sock.sh
+++ b/docker-exec-via-sock.sh
@@ -84,14 +84,16 @@ docker_exec_start() {
   docker_exec_start_id=$1
   docker_exec_start_desc=$2
   docker_exec_start_endpoint="${docker_api_base}/exec/${docker_exec_start_id}/start"
-  DOCKER_LAST_RESPONSE=$(curl --fail --show-error --silent --unix-socket "$DOCKER_SOCKET" \
+  if ! DOCKER_LAST_RESPONSE=$(curl --fail --show-error --silent --unix-socket "$DOCKER_SOCKET" \
     -X POST \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"Detach": false, "Tty": true}' \
-    "$docker_exec_start_endpoint")
+    "$docker_exec_start_endpoint"); then
+    log "command execution failed. output from container: $DOCKER_LAST_RESPONSE"
+    return 1
+  fi
 
   log_stream "$docker_exec_start_desc output" "$DOCKER_LAST_RESPONSE"
-
   printf '%s' "$DOCKER_LAST_RESPONSE"
 }
 
@@ -189,13 +191,14 @@ fi
 
 log "starting exec $exec_id"
 
-start_output=$(docker_exec_start "$exec_id" "exec") || true
+if ! start_output=$(docker_exec_start "$exec_id" "exec"); then
+  # The error is already logged inside docker_exec_start
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 if ! exit_code=$(docker_exec_exit_code "$exec_id"); then
   error_message=$(printf '%s' "$DOCKER_LAST_RESPONSE" | jq -r '.message // "unknown error"')
   log "could not determine exec exit code: $error_message"
-  log "this often happens if the command inside the container fails immediately (e.g. command not found)."
-  log "initial command output from container: $start_output"
   exit 1
 fi