diff --git a/src/lib-sieve-tool/sieve-tool.c b/src/lib-sieve-tool/sieve-tool.c
index bde6788e7..2d6c486d3 100644
--- a/src/lib-sieve-tool/sieve-tool.c
+++ b/src/lib-sieve-tool/sieve-tool.c
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ struct sieve_binary *sieve_tool_script_compile
 
 	if ( (sbin = sieve_compile
 		(svinst, filename, name, ehandler, 0, NULL)) == NULL )
-		i_error("failed to compile sieve script '%s'", filename);
+		i_fatal("failed to compile sieve script '%s'", filename);
 
 	sieve_error_handler_unref(&ehandler);