diff --git a/buildbot/slave/commands/base.py b/buildbot/slave/commands/base.py
index a509406fa12..445ef37019f 100644
--- a/buildbot/slave/commands/base.py
+++ b/buildbot/slave/commands/base.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- test-case-name: buildbot.test.test_slavecommand -*-
 
-import os, signal, types, time, re
+import os, signal, types, time, re, traceback
 from stat import ST_CTIME, ST_MTIME, ST_SIZE
 from collections import deque
 
@@ -390,6 +390,9 @@ def start(self):
         except:
             log.msg("error in ShellCommand._startCommand")
             log.err()
+            self._addToBuffers('stderr', "error in ShellCommand._startCommand\n")
+            self._addToBuffers('stderr', traceback.format_exc())
+            self._sendBuffers()
             # pretend it was a shell error
             self.deferred.errback(AbandonChain(-1))
         return self.deferred
diff --git a/buildbot/test/unit/test_slave_commands_base.py b/buildbot/test/unit/test_slave_commands_base.py
index 29a720f0237..4f7f631ae10 100644
--- a/buildbot/test/unit/test_slave_commands_base.py
+++ b/buildbot/test/unit/test_slave_commands_base.py
@@ -162,6 +162,14 @@ def testBadCommand(self):
         def check(err):
             self.flushLoggedErrors()
             err.trap(AbandonChain)
+            stderr = []
+            # Here we're checking that the exception starting up the command
+            # actually gets propogated back to the master.
+            for u in b.updates:
+                if 'stderr' in u:
+                    stderr.append(u['stderr'])
+            stderr = "".join(stderr)
+            self.failUnless("TypeError" in stderr, stderr)
         d.addBoth(check)
         return d