diff --git a/modules/installer/tools/nixos-rebuild.sh b/modules/installer/tools/nixos-rebuild.sh
index 29927f8a126..22aa847e192 100644
--- a/modules/installer/tools/nixos-rebuild.sh
+++ b/modules/installer/tools/nixos-rebuild.sh
@@ -125,9 +125,13 @@ fi
 # Pull the manifests defined in the configuration (the "manifests"
 # attribute).  Wonderfully hacky.
 if [ -n "$pullManifest" -o "$action" = pull ]; then
+    set -o pipefail
     manifests=$(nix-instantiate --eval-only --xml --strict '<nixos>' -A manifests \
         | grep '<string'  | sed 's^.*"\(.*\)".*^\1^g')
 
+    set -o nopipefail
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then exit 1; fi
+
     mkdir -p /nix/var/nix/channel-cache
     for i in $manifests; do
         NIX_DOWNLOAD_CACHE=/nix/var/nix/channel-cache nix-pull $i || true