diff --git a/builtin/fast-import.c b/builtin/fast-import.c
index 20406f67754..2b2e28bad79 100644
--- a/builtin/fast-import.c
+++ b/builtin/fast-import.c
@@ -401,16 +401,18 @@ static void dump_marks(void);
 
 static NORETURN void die_nicely(const char *err, va_list params)
 {
+	va_list cp;
 	static int zombie;
-	char message[2 * PATH_MAX];
+	report_fn die_message_fn = get_die_message_routine();
 
-	vsnprintf(message, sizeof(message), err, params);
-	fputs("fatal: ", stderr);
-	fputs(message, stderr);
-	fputc('\n', stderr);
+	va_copy(cp, params);
+	die_message_fn(err, params);
 
 	if (!zombie) {
+		char message[2 * PATH_MAX];
+
 		zombie = 1;
+		vsnprintf(message, sizeof(message), err, cp);
 		write_crash_report(message);
 		end_packfile();
 		unkeep_all_packs();
diff --git a/builtin/notes.c b/builtin/notes.c
index 71c59583a17..2812d1eac40 100644
--- a/builtin/notes.c
+++ b/builtin/notes.c
@@ -201,11 +201,12 @@ static void prepare_note_data(const struct object_id *object, struct note_data *
 static void write_note_data(struct note_data *d, struct object_id *oid)
 {
 	if (write_object_file(d->buf.buf, d->buf.len, blob_type, oid)) {
-		error(_("unable to write note object"));
+		int status = die_message(_("unable to write note object"));
+
 		if (d->edit_path)
-			error(_("the note contents have been left in %s"),
-				d->edit_path);
-		exit(128);
+			die_message(_("the note contents have been left in %s"),
+				    d->edit_path);
+		exit(status);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index 2c780825f9e..dd0170e3dd9 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ static inline int const_error(void)
 typedef void (*report_fn)(const char *, va_list params);
 
 void set_die_routine(NORETURN_PTR report_fn routine);
+report_fn get_die_message_routine(void);
 void set_error_routine(report_fn routine);
 report_fn get_error_routine(void);
 void set_warn_routine(report_fn routine);
diff --git a/http-backend.c b/http-backend.c
index 3d6e2ff17f8..982cb62c7cb 100644
--- a/http-backend.c
+++ b/http-backend.c
@@ -659,8 +659,9 @@ static NORETURN void die_webcgi(const char *err, va_list params)
 {
 	if (dead <= 1) {
 		struct strbuf hdr = STRBUF_INIT;
+		report_fn die_message_fn = get_die_message_routine();
 
-		vreportf("fatal: ", err, params);
+		die_message_fn(err, params);
 
 		http_status(&hdr, 500, "Internal Server Error");
 		hdr_nocache(&hdr);
diff --git a/parse-options.c b/parse-options.c
index fc5b43ff0b2..8bc0a21f1d7 100644
--- a/parse-options.c
+++ b/parse-options.c
@@ -1075,6 +1075,6 @@ void NORETURN usage_msg_opt(const char *msg,
 		   const char * const *usagestr,
 		   const struct option *options)
 {
-	fprintf(stderr, "fatal: %s\n\n", msg);
+	die_message("%s\n", msg); /* The extra \n is intentional */
 	usage_with_options(usagestr, options);
 }
diff --git a/run-command.c b/run-command.c
index f40df01c772..a790fe9799d 100644
--- a/run-command.c
+++ b/run-command.c
@@ -340,15 +340,6 @@ static void child_close_pair(int fd[2])
 	child_close(fd[1]);
 }
 
-/*
- * parent will make it look like the child spewed a fatal error and died
- * this is needed to prevent changes to t0061.
- */
-static void fake_fatal(const char *err, va_list params)
-{
-	vreportf("fatal: ", err, params);
-}
-
 static void child_error_fn(const char *err, va_list params)
 {
 	const char msg[] = "error() should not be called in child\n";
@@ -372,9 +363,10 @@ static void NORETURN child_die_fn(const char *err, va_list params)
 static void child_err_spew(struct child_process *cmd, struct child_err *cerr)
 {
 	static void (*old_errfn)(const char *err, va_list params);
+	report_fn die_message_routine = get_die_message_routine();
 
 	old_errfn = get_error_routine();
-	set_error_routine(fake_fatal);
+	set_error_routine(die_message_routine);
 	errno = cerr->syserr;
 
 	switch (cerr->err) {
@@ -1082,7 +1074,9 @@ static void *run_thread(void *data)
 
 static NORETURN void die_async(const char *err, va_list params)
 {
-	vreportf("fatal: ", err, params);
+	report_fn die_message_fn = get_die_message_routine();
+
+	die_message_fn(err, params);
 
 	if (in_async()) {
 		struct async *async = pthread_getspecific(async_key);
diff --git a/usage.c b/usage.c
index f6a539cade9..8ee5c6493fb 100644
--- a/usage.c
+++ b/usage.c
@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ static void die_message_builtin(const char *err, va_list params)
  */
 static NORETURN void die_builtin(const char *err, va_list params)
 {
-	die_message_builtin(err, params);
+	report_fn die_message_fn = get_die_message_routine();
+
+	die_message_fn(err, params);
 	exit(128);
 }
 
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ static int die_is_recursing_builtin(void)
  * (ugh), so keep things static. */
 static NORETURN_PTR report_fn usage_routine = usage_builtin;
 static NORETURN_PTR report_fn die_routine = die_builtin;
+static report_fn die_message_routine = die_message_builtin;
 static report_fn error_routine = error_builtin;
 static report_fn warn_routine = warn_builtin;
 static int (*die_is_recursing)(void) = die_is_recursing_builtin;
@@ -121,6 +124,11 @@ void set_die_routine(NORETURN_PTR report_fn routine)
 	die_routine = routine;
 }
 
+report_fn get_die_message_routine(void)
+{
+	return die_message_routine;
+}
+
 void set_error_routine(report_fn routine)
 {
 	error_routine = routine;
@@ -220,7 +228,7 @@ int die_message(const char *err, ...)
 	va_list params;
 
 	va_start(params, err);
-	die_message_builtin(err, params);
+	die_message_routine(err, params);
 	va_end(params);
 	return 128;
 }
