diff --git a/stimela/backends/kube/pod_proxy.py b/stimela/backends/kube/pod_proxy.py
index 4183232f..cb31c6f1 100644
--- a/stimela/backends/kube/pod_proxy.py
+++ b/stimela/backends/kube/pod_proxy.py
@@ -84,10 +84,15 @@ def __init__(self, kube: KubeBackendOptions, podname: str, image_name: str, comm
         self._exit_logging_threads = False
         self._aux_pod_threads = {}
         self._mounts = {}
+        # accumulate list of exceptions that are raised in the updater thread
+        self._exceptions = []
 
     def _status_updater(self):
         while not self._exit_logging_threads:
-            update_process_status()
+            try:
+                update_process_status()
+            except BackendError as exc:
+                self._exceptions.append(exc)
             time.sleep(1)
 
     def start_status_update_thread(self):
@@ -96,6 +101,18 @@ def start_status_update_thread(self):
             self._aux_pod_threads["status"] = thread, None, "status update thread"
             thread.start()
 
+    def check_status(self):
+        """
+        Checks if status thread has caught any exceptions, and re-reises them if so.
+        Returns True of no exceptions.
+        """
+        if self._exceptions:
+            if len(self._exceptions) == 1:
+                raise self._exceptions[0]
+            else:
+                raise BackendError("k8s backend errors", *self._exceptions)
+        return True
+
     @property
     def session_init_container(self):
         if self._session_init_container is None:
diff --git a/stimela/backends/kube/run_kube.py b/stimela/backends/kube/run_kube.py
index 6e2268b3..c32c12ff 100644
--- a/stimela/backends/kube/run_kube.py
+++ b/stimela/backends/kube/run_kube.py
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ def elapsed(since=None):
     pathlib.Path(numba_cache_dir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
     pod_created = dask_job_created = volumes_provisioned = port_forward_proc = None
+    bailout_with_exceptions = []
 
     def k8s_event_handler(event):
         objkind = event.involved_object.kind
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ def dprint(level, *args):
                     dprint(2, "Responce: ", resp)
                     pod_created = resp
                     connected = True
-                    while True:
+                    while pod.check_status():
                         try:
                             resp = kube_api.read_namespaced_pod_status(name=podname, namespace=namespace,
                                                                     _request_timeout=(1, 1))
@@ -279,7 +280,7 @@ def dprint(level, *args):
                     job_status = None
                     connected = True
                     # wait for dask job to start up
-                    while True:
+                    while pod.check_status():
                         try:
                             resp = custom_obj_api.get_namespaced_custom_object_status(group, version, 
                                                     namespace, plural, name=dask_job_name, _request_timeout=(1, 1))
@@ -361,7 +362,7 @@ def dprint(level, *args):
             connected = True
             last_log_timestamp = None
             seen_logs = set()
-            while retcode is None:
+            while retcode is None and pod.check_status():
                 try:
                     for entry in kube_api.read_namespaced_pod_log(name=podname, namespace=namespace, container="job",
                                 follow=True, timestamps=True,