diff --git a/src/builder-context.c b/src/builder-context.c
index 18a3925c..7a51e410 100644
--- a/src/builder-context.c
+++ b/src/builder-context.c
@@ -425,18 +425,19 @@ builder_context_get_checksum_for (BuilderContext *self,
   return g_steal_pointer (&checksum);
 }
 
-void
-builder_context_set_checksum_for (BuilderContext *self,
-                                  const char *name,
-                                  const char *checksum)
+gboolean
+builder_context_set_checksum_for (BuilderContext  *self,
+                                  const char      *name,
+                                  const char      *checksum,
+                                  GError         **error)
 {
   g_autoptr(GFile) checksum_file = g_file_get_child (self->checksums_dir, name);
 
   if (!flatpak_mkdir_p (self->checksums_dir,
-                        NULL, NULL))
-    return;
+                        NULL, error))
+    return FALSE;
 
-  g_file_set_contents (flatpak_file_get_path_cached (checksum_file), checksum, -1, NULL);
+  return g_file_set_contents (flatpak_file_get_path_cached (checksum_file), checksum, -1, error);
 }
 
 GFile *
diff --git a/src/builder-context.h b/src/builder-context.h
index c71c64e2..0d433584 100644
--- a/src/builder-context.h
+++ b/src/builder-context.h
@@ -109,9 +109,10 @@ void            builder_context_set_rebuild_on_sdk_change (BuilderContext *self,
                                                            gboolean        rebuild_on_sdk_change);
 char *          builder_context_get_checksum_for (BuilderContext *self,
                                                   const char *name);
-void            builder_context_set_checksum_for (BuilderContext *self,
-                                                  const char *name,
-                                                  const char *checksum);
+gboolean        builder_context_set_checksum_for (BuilderContext  *self,
+                                                  const char      *name,
+                                                  const char      *checksum,
+                                                  GError         **error);
 
 BuilderContext *builder_context_new (GFile *run_dir,
                                      GFile *app_dir,
diff --git a/src/builder-main.c b/src/builder-main.c
index ae200add..85a7ca8c 100644
--- a/src/builder-main.c
+++ b/src/builder-main.c
@@ -627,7 +627,11 @@ main (int    argc,
       }
   }
 
-  builder_context_set_checksum_for (build_context, manifest_basename, json_sha256);
+  if (!builder_context_set_checksum_for (build_context, manifest_basename, json_sha256, &error))
+    {
+      g_printerr ("Failed to set checksum for ‘%s’: %s\n", manifest_basename, error->message);
+      return 1;
+    }
 
   if (!builder_manifest_start (manifest, opt_allow_missing_runtimes, build_context, &error))
     {