diff --git a/hooks/post-command b/hooks/post-command
index e405107..b125cf5 100755
--- a/hooks/post-command
+++ b/hooks/post-command
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -euo pipefail
 
+# skip caching if command exited non-zero
+if [ "${BUILDKITE_COMMAND_EXIT_STATUS}" -ne 0 ] ; then
+  echo "Aborting cache post-command hook because command exited with status $BUILDKITE_COMMAND_EXIT_STATUS"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 DIR="$(cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd)"
 
 # shellcheck source=lib/shared.bash
diff --git a/tests/post-command-tgz.bats b/tests/post-command-tgz.bats
index 102bc65..1cfcc31 100644
--- a/tests/post-command-tgz.bats
+++ b/tests/post-command-tgz.bats
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 setup() {
   load "${BATS_PLUGIN_PATH}/load.bash"
 
+  export BUILDKITE_COMMAND_EXIT_STATUS=0
+
   mkdir -p tests/data/my_files
   echo "all the llamas" > "tests/data/my_files/llamas.txt"
   echo "no alpacas" > "tests/data/my_files/alpacas.txt"
diff --git a/tests/post-command-zip.bats b/tests/post-command-zip.bats
index 7964ea3..6421f7d 100644
--- a/tests/post-command-zip.bats
+++ b/tests/post-command-zip.bats
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 setup() {
   load "${BATS_PLUGIN_PATH}/load.bash"
 
+  export BUILDKITE_COMMAND_EXIT_STATUS=0
+
   mkdir -p tests/data/my_files
   echo "all the llamas" > "tests/data/my_files/llamas.txt"
   echo "no alpacas" > "tests/data/my_files/alpacas.txt"
diff --git a/tests/post-command.bats b/tests/post-command.bats
index 41e1b11..efcf4d9 100644
--- a/tests/post-command.bats
+++ b/tests/post-command.bats
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 setup() {
   load "${BATS_PLUGIN_PATH}/load.bash"
 
+  export BUILDKITE_COMMAND_EXIT_STATUS=0
+
   mkdir -p tests/data/my_files
   echo "all the llamas" > "tests/data/my_files/llamas.txt"
   echo "no alpacas" > "tests/data/my_files/alpacas.txt"
@@ -34,6 +36,15 @@ teardown() {
   assert_output --partial 'Cache not setup for saving'
 }
 
+@test 'If command failed, do nothing' {
+  export BUILDKITE_COMMAND_EXIT_STATUS=127
+
+  run "$PWD/hooks/post-command"
+
+  assert_success
+  assert_output --partial 'Aborting cache post-command hook because command exited with status 127'
+}
+
 @test "Missing path fails" {
   unset BUILDKITE_PLUGIN_CACHE_PATH