diff --git a/pkg/libkubectl/apply.go b/pkg/libkubectl/apply.go
index 5dad5adc5..23619e532 100644
--- a/pkg/libkubectl/apply.go
+++ b/pkg/libkubectl/apply.go
@@ -6,18 +6,30 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/apply"
+	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 )
 
 func (c *Client) Apply(ctx context.Context, manifests []string) (string, error) {
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 
+	var fatalErr error
+	cmdutil.BehaviorOnFatal(func(msg string, code int) {
+		fatalErr = newKubectlFatalError(code, msg)
+	})
+	defer cmdutil.DefaultBehaviorOnFatal()
+
 	cmd := apply.NewCmdApply("kubectl", c.factory, c.streams)
 	cmd.SetArgs(resourcesToArgs(manifests))
 	cmd.SetOut(buf)
 
-	if err := cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx); err != nil {
+	err := cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx)
+	// check for the fatal error first so we don't return the error from the command execution
+	if fatalErr != nil {
+		return "", fatalErr
+	}
+	// if there is no fatal error, return the error from the command execution
+	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("error applying resources: %w", err)
 	}
-
 	return buf.String(), nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/libkubectl/client.go b/pkg/libkubectl/client.go
index f9d4137f6..0229c8167 100644
--- a/pkg/libkubectl/client.go
+++ b/pkg/libkubectl/client.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package libkubectl
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericclioptions"
 	"k8s.io/cli-runtime/pkg/genericiooptions"
@@ -61,3 +62,7 @@ func generateConfigFlags(token, server, namespace, kubeconfigPath string, insecu
 
 	return configFlags, nil
 }
+
+func newKubectlFatalError(code int, msg string) error {
+	return fmt.Errorf("kubectl fatal error (exit code %d): %s", code, msg)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/libkubectl/delete.go b/pkg/libkubectl/delete.go
index bb093ab4d..4544dfc76 100644
--- a/pkg/libkubectl/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/libkubectl/delete.go
@@ -6,17 +6,30 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/delete"
+	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 )
 
 func (c *Client) Delete(ctx context.Context, manifests []string) (string, error) {
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 
+	var fatalErr error
+	cmdutil.BehaviorOnFatal(func(msg string, code int) {
+		fatalErr = newKubectlFatalError(code, msg)
+	})
+	defer cmdutil.DefaultBehaviorOnFatal()
+
 	cmd := delete.NewCmdDelete(c.factory, c.streams)
 	cmd.SetArgs(resourcesToArgs(manifests))
 	cmd.Flags().Set("ignore-not-found", "true")
 	cmd.SetOut(buf)
 
-	if err := cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx); err != nil {
+	err := cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx)
+	// check for the fatal error first so we don't return the error from the command execution
+	if fatalErr != nil {
+		return "", fatalErr
+	}
+	// if there is no fatal error, return the error from the command execution
+	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("error deleting resources: %w", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/libkubectl/restart.go b/pkg/libkubectl/restart.go
index fcfa7fd15..9ce7149aa 100644
--- a/pkg/libkubectl/restart.go
+++ b/pkg/libkubectl/restart.go
@@ -6,11 +6,18 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 
 	"k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/rollout"
+	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubectl/pkg/cmd/util"
 )
 
 func (c *Client) RolloutRestart(ctx context.Context, manifests []string) (string, error) {
 	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 
+	var fatalErr error
+	cmdutil.BehaviorOnFatal(func(msg string, code int) {
+		fatalErr = newKubectlFatalError(code, msg)
+	})
+	defer cmdutil.DefaultBehaviorOnFatal()
+
 	cmd := rollout.NewCmdRollout(c.factory, c.streams)
 	args := []string{"restart"}
 	args = append(args, resourcesToArgs(manifests)...)
@@ -18,7 +25,13 @@ func (c *Client) RolloutRestart(ctx context.Context, manifests []string) (string
 	cmd.SetArgs(args)
 	cmd.SetOut(buf)
 
-	if err := cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx); err != nil {
+	err := cmd.ExecuteContext(ctx)
+	// check for the fatal error first so we don't return the error from the command execution
+	if fatalErr != nil {
+		return "", fatalErr
+	}
+	// if there is no fatal error, return the error from the command execution
+	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("error restarting resources: %w", err)
 	}