diff --git a/lib/version.js b/lib/version.js
index 80c068b914a..930708676ed 100644
--- a/lib/version.js
+++ b/lib/version.js
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ function version (args, silent, cb_) {
     data.version = newVersion
 
     checkGit(function (er, hasGit) {
+      if (er) return cb_(er)
+
       write(data, "package.json", function (er) {
         if (er) return cb_(er)
 
diff --git a/test/tap/version-git-not-clean.js b/test/tap/version-git-not-clean.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3271fda8cab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/version-git-not-clean.js
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+var common = require("../common-tap.js")
+var test = require("tap").test
+var npm = require("../../")
+var osenv = require("osenv")
+var path = require("path")
+var fs = require("fs")
+var rimraf = require("rimraf")
+var mkdirp = require("mkdirp")
+var which = require("which")
+var spawn = require("child_process").spawn
+
+var pkg = path.resolve(__dirname, "version-git-not-clean")
+var cache = path.resolve(pkg, "cache")
+
+test("npm version <semver> with working directory not clean", function (t) {
+  setup()
+  npm.load({ cache: cache, registry: common.registry}, function () {
+    which("git", function (err, git) {
+      t.ifError(err, "git found on system")
+      function gitInit(_cb) {
+        var child = spawn(git, ["init"])
+        var out = ""
+        child.stdout.on("data", function (d) {
+          out += d.toString()
+        })
+        child.on("exit", function () {
+          return _cb(out)
+        })
+      }
+      function addPackageJSON(_cb) {
+        var data = JSON.stringify({ name: "blah", version: "0.1.2" })
+        fs.writeFile("package.json", data, function() {
+          var child = spawn(git, ["add", "package.json"])
+          child.on("exit", function () {
+            var child2 = spawn(git, ["commit", "package.json", "-m", "init"])
+            var out = ""
+            child2.stdout.on("data", function (d) {
+              out += d.toString()
+            })
+            child2.on("exit", function () {
+              return _cb(out)
+            })
+          })
+        })
+      }
+
+      gitInit(function() {
+        addPackageJSON(function() {
+          var data = JSON.stringify({ name: "blah", version: "0.1.3" })
+          fs.writeFile("package.json", data, function() {
+            npm.commands.version(["patch"], function (err) {
+              if (!err) {
+                t.fail("should fail on non-clean working directory")
+              } else {
+                t.equal(err.message, "Git working directory not clean.\nM package.json")
+              }
+              t.end()
+            })
+          })
+        })
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
+
+test("cleanup", function (t) {
+  // windows fix for locked files
+  process.chdir(osenv.tmpdir())
+
+  rimraf.sync(pkg)
+  t.end()
+})
+
+function setup() {
+  mkdirp.sync(pkg)
+  mkdirp.sync(cache)
+  process.chdir(pkg)
+}