diff --git a/tests/generic/027 b/tests/generic/027
index d2e59d6..3aef914 100755
--- a/tests/generic/027
+++ b/tests/generic/027
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ _require_scratch
 rm -f $seqres.full
 echo "Silence is golden"
 
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $((256 * 1024 * 1024)) >>$seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $((256 * 1024 * 1024)) >>$seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 _scratch_mount
 
 echo "Reserve 2M space" >>$seqres.full
diff --git a/tests/generic/081 b/tests/generic/081
index 34da1ac..4044d12 100755
--- a/tests/generic/081
+++ b/tests/generic/081
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ mkdir -p $mnt
 
 # make sure there's enough disk space for 256M lv, test for 300M here in case
 # lvm uses some space for metadata
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $((300 * 1024 * 1024)) >>$seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $((300 * 1024 * 1024)) >>$seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 $LVM_PROG vgcreate -f $vgname $SCRATCH_DEV >>$seqres.full 2>&1
 $LVM_PROG lvcreate --yes -L 256M -n $lvname $vgname >>$seqres.full 2>&1
 # wait for lvcreation to fully complete
diff --git a/tests/generic/085 b/tests/generic/085
index 8398752..ec543be 100755
--- a/tests/generic/085
+++ b/tests/generic/085
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ echo "Silence is golden"
 
 size=$((256 * 1024 * 1024))
 size_in_sector=$((size / 512))
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $size >>$seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $size >>$seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 
 node=$seq-test
 lvdev=/dev/mapper/$node
diff --git a/tests/generic/096 b/tests/generic/096
index daf9981..f9bdc81 100755
--- a/tests/generic/096
+++ b/tests/generic/096
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ rm -f $seqres.full
 echo "Silence is golden"
 
 # Use smaller scratch fs to shorten the test time
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $((512 * 1024 * 1024)) >>$seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $((512 * 1024 * 1024)) >>$seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 _scratch_mount
 
 testfile=$SCRATCH_MNT/$seq.$$
diff --git a/tests/generic/102 b/tests/generic/102
index abc3994..d7f598b 100755
--- a/tests/generic/102
+++ b/tests/generic/102
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ _require_scratch
 rm -f $seqres.full
 
 dev_size=$((512 * 1024 * 1024))     # 512MB filesystem
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $dev_size >>$seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $dev_size >>$seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 _scratch_mount
 
 for ((i = 0; i < 10; i++)); do
diff --git a/tests/generic/204 b/tests/generic/204
index 42985ab..79de712 100755
--- a/tests/generic/204
+++ b/tests/generic/204
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ _scratch_mkfs 2> /dev/null | _filter_mkfs 2> $tmp.mkfs > /dev/null
 SIZE=`expr 106 \* 1024 \* 1024`
 _scratch_mkfs_sized $SIZE $dbsize 2> /dev/null \
 		| _filter_mkfs 2> $tmp.mkfs > /dev/null
+if [[ ${PIPESTATUS[0]} != 0 ]]; then
+	_fail "mkfs failed"
+fi
+
 _scratch_mount
 
 # Source $tmp.mkfs to get geometry
diff --git a/tests/generic/226 b/tests/generic/226
index 4ad56a5..a83ee0f 100755
--- a/tests/generic/226
+++ b/tests/generic/226
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ rm -f $seqres.full
 
 umount $SCRATCH_DEV 2>/dev/null
 echo "--> mkfs 256m filesystem"
-_scratch_mkfs_sized `expr 256 \* 1024 \* 1024` >> $seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized `expr 256 \* 1024 \* 1024` >> $seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 _scratch_mount
 
 loops=16
diff --git a/tests/generic/269 b/tests/generic/269
index fe648b5..5ceedba 100755
--- a/tests/generic/269
+++ b/tests/generic/269
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ _need_to_be_root
 _require_scratch
 
 rm -f $seqres.full
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $((512 * 1024 * 1024)) >> $seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $((512 * 1024 * 1024)) >> $seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 _scratch_mount
 
 if ! _workout; then
diff --git a/tests/generic/270 b/tests/generic/270
index 255ebf2..6d1c5f1 100755
--- a/tests/generic/270
+++ b/tests/generic/270
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ _need_to_be_root
 _require_scratch
 
 rm -f $seqres.full
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $((512 * 1024 * 1024)) >> $seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $((512 * 1024 * 1024)) >> $seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 _scratch_mount "-o usrquota,grpquota"
 chmod 777 $SCRATCH_MNT
 quotacheck -u -g $SCRATCH_MNT 2>/dev/null
diff --git a/tests/generic/300 b/tests/generic/300
index d7523aa..72f1ab3 100755
--- a/tests/generic/300
+++ b/tests/generic/300
@@ -143,7 +143,8 @@ _workout()
 
 _require_fio $fio_config
 
-_scratch_mkfs_sized $FS_SIZE >> $seqres.full 2>&1
+_scratch_mkfs_sized $FS_SIZE >> $seqres.full 2>&1 \
+	|| _fail "mkfs failed"
 _scratch_mount
 
 if ! _workout; then
