diff --git a/src/pylorax/api/gitrpm.py b/src/pylorax/api/gitrpm.py
index 04daa400..3efb8a7d 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/api/gitrpm.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/api/gitrpm.py
@@ -59,7 +59,11 @@ class GitArchiveTarball:
         # Clone the repository into a temporary location
         cmd = ["git", "clone", self._gitRepo["repo"], joinpaths(sourcesDir, "gitrepo")]
         log.debug(cmd)
-        subprocess.check_call(cmd)
+        try:
+            subprocess.check_output(cmd)
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+            log.error("Failed to clone %s: %s", self._gitRepo["repo"], e.output)
+            raise RuntimeError("Failed to clone %s" % self._gitRepo["repo"])
 
         oldcwd = os.getcwd()
         try:
@@ -72,7 +76,11 @@ class GitArchiveTarball:
 
             cmd = ["git", "archive", "--prefix", self._gitRepo["rpmname"] + "/", "-o", joinpaths(sourcesDir, self.sourceName), self._gitRepo["ref"]]
             log.debug(cmd)
-            subprocess.check_call(cmd)
+            try:
+                subprocess.check_output(cmd)
+            except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+                log.error("Failed to archive %s: %s", self._gitRepo["repo"], e.output)
+                raise RuntimeError("Failed to clone %s" % self._gitRepo["repo"])
         finally:
             # Cleanup even if there was an error
             os.chdir(oldcwd)
@@ -197,6 +205,10 @@ def create_gitrpm_repo(results_dir, recipe):
         make_git_rpm(r, gitrepo)
     cmd = ["createrepo_c", gitrepo]
     log.debug(cmd)
-    subprocess.check_call(cmd)
+    try:
+        subprocess.check_output(cmd)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        log.error("Failed to create repo at %s: %s", gitrepo, e.output)
+        raise RuntimeError("Failed to create repo at %s" % gitrepo)
 
     return gitrepo
diff --git a/tests/pylorax/test_gitrpm.py b/tests/pylorax/test_gitrpm.py
index 9a33a80d..40a2a2ab 100644
--- a/tests/pylorax/test_gitrpm.py
+++ b/tests/pylorax/test_gitrpm.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import tarfile
 import tempfile
 import unittest
 
-from pylorax.api.gitrpm import GitArchiveTarball, make_git_rpm, create_gitrpm_repo
+from pylorax.api.gitrpm import GitArchiveTarball, GitRpmBuild, make_git_rpm, create_gitrpm_repo
 from pylorax.sysutils import joinpaths
 
 def _setup_git_repo(self):
@@ -175,6 +175,38 @@ class GitArchiveTest(unittest.TestCase):
         archive = GitArchiveTarball(git_repo["repos"]["git"][0])
         self._check_tar(archive, "git-rpm-test/", "second")
 
+    def git_fail_repo_test(self):
+        """Test creating an archive from a bad url"""
+        git_repo = toml.loads("""
+            [[repos.git]]
+            rpmname="git-rpm-test"
+            rpmversion="1.0.0"
+            rpmrelease="1"
+            summary="Testing the git rpm code"
+            repo="file://%s"
+            ref="v1.1.0"
+            destination="/srv/testing-rpm/"
+        """ % ("/tmp/no-repo-here/"))
+        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+            archive = GitArchiveTarball(git_repo["repos"]["git"][0])
+            self._check_tar(archive, "git-rpm-test/", None)
+
+    def git_fail_ref_test(self):
+        """Test creating an archive from a bad ref"""
+        git_repo = toml.loads("""
+            [[repos.git]]
+            rpmname="git-rpm-test"
+            rpmversion="1.0.0"
+            rpmrelease="1"
+            summary="Testing the git rpm code"
+            repo="file://%s"
+            ref="0297617d7b8baa263a69ae7dc901bbbcefd0eaa4"
+            destination="/srv/testing-rpm/"
+        """ % (self.repodir))
+        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+            archive = GitArchiveTarball(git_repo["repos"]["git"][0])
+            self._check_tar(archive, "git-rpm-test/", None)
+
 
 class GitRpmTest(unittest.TestCase):
     @classmethod
@@ -293,3 +325,19 @@ class GitRpmTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         finally:
             shutil.rmtree(temp_dir)
+
+
+class GitRpmBuildTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def get_base_dir_test(self):
+        """Make sure base_dir is created"""
+        gitRpm = GitRpmBuild("rpmtest", "1.0.0", "1", ["noarch"])
+        base_dir = gitRpm.get_base_dir()
+        self.assertTrue("lorax-git-rpm" in base_dir)
+        gitRpm.cleanup_tmpdir()
+
+    def short_base_dir_test(self):
+        """Make sure cleanup of an unusually short base_dir fails"""
+        gitRpm = GitRpmBuild("rpmtest", "1.0.0", "1", ["noarch"])
+        gitRpm._base_dir = "/aa/"
+        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+            gitRpm.cleanup_tmpdir()