diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/CheckoutTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/CheckoutTest.java
index 4b86b6014..a98dd1cf9 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/CheckoutTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/CheckoutTest.java
@@ -71,6 +71,23 @@
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 public class CheckoutTest extends CLIRepositoryTestCase {
+	/**
+	 * Executes specified git command (with arguments), captures exception and
+	 * returns its message as an array of lines. Throws an AssertionError if no
+	 * exception is thrown.
+	 *
+	 * @param command
+	 *            a valid git command line, e.g. "git branch -h"
+	 * @return message contained within the exception
+	 */
+	private String[] executeExpectingException(String command) {
+		try {
+			execute(command);
+			throw new AssertionError("Expected Die");
+		} catch (Exception e) {
+			return e.getMessage().split(System.lineSeparator());
+		}
+	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testCheckoutSelf() throws Exception {
@@ -107,7 +124,7 @@ public void testCheckoutNewBranch() throws Exception {
 	public void testCheckoutNonExistingBranch() throws Exception {
 		assertStringArrayEquals(
 				"error: pathspec 'side' did not match any file(s) known to git.",
-				execute("git checkout side"));
+				executeExpectingException("git checkout side"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -131,7 +148,7 @@ public void testCheckoutNewBranchOnBranchToBeBorn() throws Exception {
 	public void testCheckoutUnresolvedHead() throws Exception {
 		assertStringArrayEquals(
 				"error: pathspec 'HEAD' did not match any file(s) known to git.",
-				execute("git checkout HEAD"));
+				executeExpectingException("git checkout HEAD"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -159,7 +176,8 @@ public void testCheckoutExistingBranchWithConflict() throws Exception {
 			writeTrashFile("a", "New Hello world a");
 			git.add().addFilepattern(".").call();
 
-			String[] execute = execute("git checkout branch_1");
+			String[] execute = executeExpectingException(
+					"git checkout branch_1");
 			assertEquals(
 					"error: Your local changes to the following files would be overwritten by checkout:",
 					execute[0]);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Checkout.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Checkout.java
index b5cf56e93..2af1eca80 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Checkout.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.pgm/src/org/eclipse/jgit/pgm/Checkout.java
@@ -122,17 +122,21 @@ protected void run() throws Exception {
 							CLIText.get().switchedToBranch,
 							Repository.shortenRefName(ref.getName())));
 			} catch (RefNotFoundException e) {
-				outw.println(MessageFormat.format(
-						CLIText.get().pathspecDidNotMatch,
-						name));
+				throw die(MessageFormat
+						.format(CLIText.get().pathspecDidNotMatch, name), e);
 			} catch (RefAlreadyExistsException e) {
-				throw die(MessageFormat.format(CLIText.get().branchAlreadyExists,
-						name));
+				throw die(MessageFormat
+						.format(CLIText.get().branchAlreadyExists, name));
 			} catch (CheckoutConflictException e) {
-				outw.println(CLIText.get().checkoutConflict);
-				for (String path : e.getConflictingPaths())
-					outw.println(MessageFormat.format(
+				StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
+				builder.append(CLIText.get().checkoutConflict);
+				builder.append(System.lineSeparator());
+				for (String path : e.getConflictingPaths()) {
+					builder.append(MessageFormat.format(
 							CLIText.get().checkoutConflictPathLine, path));
+					builder.append(System.lineSeparator());
+				}
+				throw die(builder.toString(), e);
 			}
 		}
 	}