diff --git a/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh b/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
index fc3961ec22..747dc4c31d 100755
--- a/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
+++ b/t/t5516-fetch-push.sh
@@ -1240,7 +1240,8 @@ do
 			test_must_fail git cat-file commit $SHA1_2 &&
 			git fetch ../testrepo/.git $SHA1_2 &&
 			git cat-file commit $SHA1_2 &&
-			test_must_fail git fetch ../testrepo/.git $SHA1_3
+			test_must_fail git fetch ../testrepo/.git $SHA1_3 2>err &&
+			test_i18ngrep "remote error:.*not our ref" err
 		)
 	'
 done
diff --git a/t/t5530-upload-pack-error.sh b/t/t5530-upload-pack-error.sh
index 295bd0c83c..a1d3031d40 100755
--- a/t/t5530-upload-pack-error.sh
+++ b/t/t5530-upload-pack-error.sh
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ test_expect_success 'upload-pack fails due to error in rev-list' '
 	grep "bad tree object" output.err
 '
 
-test_expect_success 'upload-pack error message when bad ref requested' '
+test_expect_success 'upload-pack fails due to bad want (no object)' '
 
 	printf "0045want %s multi_ack_detailed\n00000009done\n0000" \
 		"deadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeefdeadbeef" >input &&
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ test_expect_success 'upload-pack error message when bad ref requested' '
 	! grep multi_ack_detailed output.err
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'upload-pack fails due to bad want (not tip)' '
+
+	oid=$(echo an object we have | git hash-object -w --stdin) &&
+	printf "0045want %s multi_ack_detailed\n00000009done\n0000" \
+		"$oid" >input &&
+	test_must_fail git upload-pack . <input >output 2>output.err &&
+	grep "not our ref" output.err &&
+	grep "ERR" output &&
+	! grep multi_ack_detailed output.err
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'upload-pack fails due to error in pack-objects enumeration' '
 
 	printf "0032want %s\n00000009done\n0000" \
diff --git a/upload-pack.c b/upload-pack.c
index d098ef5982..cb603a6d8a 100644
--- a/upload-pack.c
+++ b/upload-pack.c
@@ -592,7 +592,8 @@ error:
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static void check_non_tip(struct object_array *want_obj)
+static void check_non_tip(struct object_array *want_obj,
+			  struct packet_writer *writer)
 {
 	int i;
 
@@ -611,9 +612,13 @@ error:
 	/* Pick one of them (we know there at least is one) */
 	for (i = 0; i < want_obj->nr; i++) {
 		struct object *o = want_obj->objects[i].item;
-		if (!is_our_ref(o))
+		if (!is_our_ref(o)) {
+			packet_writer_error(writer,
+					    "upload-pack: not our ref %s",
+					    oid_to_hex(&o->oid));
 			die("git upload-pack: not our ref %s",
 			    oid_to_hex(&o->oid));
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -936,7 +941,7 @@ static void receive_needs(struct packet_reader *reader, struct object_array *wan
 	 * by another process that handled the initial request.
 	 */
 	if (has_non_tip)
-		check_non_tip(want_obj);
+		check_non_tip(want_obj, &writer);
 
 	if (!use_sideband && daemon_mode)
 		no_progress = 1;