diff --git a/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUpload.java b/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUpload.java
index 2c08c064e2f..c105023c736 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUpload.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUpload.java
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ private static void addFileToTar(String fileName, File file, TarArchiveOutputStr
 
   static String createExecCommandForUpload(String file) {
     return String.format(
-        "mkdir -p %s && cat - > %s", shellQuote(getDirectoryFromFile(file)), shellQuote(file));
+        "mkdir -p %s && cat - > %s && echo $?", shellQuote(getDirectoryFromFile(file)), shellQuote(file));
   }
 
   private static String ensureEndsWithSlash(String path) {
diff --git a/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUploadTest.java b/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUploadTest.java
index 0e3ad7716d4..9509c2e2880 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUploadTest.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/dsl/internal/uploadable/PodUploadTest.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void withFileInRootPath_shouldCreateValidExecCommandForUpload() {
       // When
       String result = PodUpload.createExecCommandForUpload("/cp.log");
       // Then
-      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/' && cat - > '/cp.log'");
+      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/' && cat - > '/cp.log' && echo $?");
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ void withNormalFile_shouldCreateValidExecCommandForUpload() {
       // When
       String result = PodUpload.createExecCommandForUpload("/tmp/foo/cp.log");
       // Then
-      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/tmp/foo/' && cat - > '/tmp/foo/cp.log'");
+      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/tmp/foo/' && cat - > '/tmp/foo/cp.log' && echo $?");
     }
 
     //
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ void withSingleQuoteInPath() {
       // When
       String result = PodUpload.createExecCommandForUpload("/tmp/fo'o/cp.log");
       // Then
-      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/tmp/fo\'\\'\'o/' && cat - > '/tmp/fo\'\\'\'o/cp.log'");
+      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/tmp/fo\'\\'\'o/' && cat - > '/tmp/fo\'\\'\'o/cp.log' && echo $?");
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ void withMultipleSingleQuotesInPath() {
       // When
       String result = PodUpload.createExecCommandForUpload("/tmp/f'o'o/c'p.log");
       // Then
-      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/tmp/f\'\\'\'o\'\\'\'o/' && cat - > '/tmp/f\'\\'\'o\'\\'\'o/c\'\\'\'p.log'");
+      assertThat(result)
+          .isEqualTo("mkdir -p '/tmp/f\'\\'\'o\'\\'\'o/' && cat - > '/tmp/f\'\\'\'o\'\\'\'o/c\'\\'\'p.log' && echo $?");
     }
   }