diff --git a/src/conmon.c b/src/conmon.c
index 1b225d41..248ebcf1 100644
--- a/src/conmon.c
+++ b/src/conmon.c
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			error_msg = buf;
 		}
 		/* Always report failure to parent, even if we couldn't read stderr */
-		if (sync_pipe_fd > 0) {
+		if (sync_pipe_fd >= 0) {
 			int to_report = -1;
 			if (opt_exec && container_status > 0) {
 				to_report = -1 * container_status;
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	if (opt_terminal && mainfd_stdout == -1) {
-		if (sync_pipe_fd > 0)
+		if (sync_pipe_fd >= 0)
 			write_or_close_sync_fd(&sync_pipe_fd, -1, "Runtime did not set up terminal");
 		nexit("Runtime did not set up terminal");
 	}
@@ -398,6 +398,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	_cleanup_free_ char *contents = NULL;
 	if (!g_file_get_contents(opt_container_pid_file, &contents, NULL, &err)) {
 		nwarnf("Failed to read pidfile: %s", err->message);
+		if (sync_pipe_fd >= 0)
+			write_or_close_sync_fd(&sync_pipe_fd, -1, err->message);
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/ctrl.c b/src/ctrl.c
index c525b3ae..539ac0f5 100644
--- a/src/ctrl.c
+++ b/src/ctrl.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "cmsg.h"
 #include "cli.h" // opt_bundle_path
 #include "seccomp_notify.h"
+#include "parent_pipe_fd.h"
 
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/socket.h>
@@ -47,7 +48,10 @@ gboolean terminal_accept_cb(int fd, G_GNUC_UNUSED GIOCondition condition, G_GNUC
 	struct file_t console = recvfd(connfd);
 
 	if (console.fd < 0) {
-		pexit("Failed to receive console file descriptor");
+		if (sync_pipe_fd >= 0) {
+			write_or_close_sync_fd(&sync_pipe_fd, -1, "Failed to receive console file descriptor");
+		}
+		nexit("Failed to receive console file descriptor");
 	}
 
 	ndebugf("console = {.name = '%s'; .fd = %d}", console.name, console.fd);
diff --git a/src/parent_pipe_fd.c b/src/parent_pipe_fd.c
index 733dc8e6..4858e513 100644
--- a/src/parent_pipe_fd.c
+++ b/src/parent_pipe_fd.c
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ void write_or_close_sync_fd(int *fd, int res, const char *message)
 
 	ssize_t len;
 
-	if (*fd == -1)
+	if (*fd == -1) {
 		return;
+	}
 
 	_cleanup_free_ char *json = NULL;
 	if (message && strlen(message) > 0) {
@@ -62,8 +63,10 @@ void write_or_close_sync_fd(int *fd, int res, const char *message)
 	}
 
 	len = strlen(json);
-	if (write_all(*fd, json, len) != len) {
+	ssize_t written = write_all(*fd, json, len);
+	if (written != len) {
 		if (errno == EPIPE) {
+			nwarnf("Got EPIPE when writing to sync_pipe_fd, closing it");
 			close(*fd);
 			*fd = -1;
 			return;