diff --git a/dev-support/Jenkinsfile b/dev-support/Jenkinsfile
index c91a2b19a2e..238d0e6739f 100644
--- a/dev-support/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/dev-support/Jenkinsfile
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ pipeline {
     stage ('yetus install') {
       steps {
         sh  '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
 echo "Ensure we have a copy of Apache Yetus."
 if [[ true !=  "${USE_YETUS_PRERELEASE}" ]]; then
   YETUS_DIR="${WORKSPACE}/yetus-${YETUS_RELEASE}"
@@ -101,6 +102,7 @@ fi
         // Set up the file we need at PERSONALITY_FILE location
         dir ("tools") {
           sh """#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -e
 echo "Downloading Project personality."
 curl -L  -o personality.sh "${env.PROJECT_PERSONALITY}"
           """
@@ -144,12 +146,14 @@ curl -L  -o personality.sh "${env.PROJECT_PERSONALITY}"
               checkout scm
             }
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}"
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine"
               "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh" "${OUTPUT_DIR_RELATIVE}/machine"
 '''
             // TODO roll this into the hbase_nightly_yetus script
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/commentfile}"
               declare -i status=0
               if "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/hbase_nightly_yetus.sh" ; then
@@ -202,11 +206,13 @@ curl -L  -o personality.sh "${env.PROJECT_PERSONALITY}"
               checkout scm
             }
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}"
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine"
               "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh" "${OUTPUT_DIR_RELATIVE}/machine"
 '''
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/commentfile}"
               declare -i status=0
               if "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/hbase_nightly_yetus.sh" ; then
@@ -273,11 +279,13 @@ curl -L  -o personality.sh "${env.PROJECT_PERSONALITY}"
               checkout scm
             }
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}"
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine"
               "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh" "${OUTPUT_DIR_RELATIVE}/machine"
 '''
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/commentfile}"
               declare -i status=0
               if "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/hbase_nightly_yetus.sh" ; then
@@ -351,11 +359,13 @@ curl -L  -o personality.sh "${env.PROJECT_PERSONALITY}"
               checkout scm
             }
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}"
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine" && mkdir "${OUTPUT_DIR}/machine"
               "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh" "${OUTPUT_DIR_RELATIVE}/machine"
 '''
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "${OUTPUT_DIR}/commentfile}"
               declare -i status=0
               if "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/hbase_nightly_yetus.sh" ; then
@@ -425,6 +435,7 @@ curl -L  -o personality.sh "${env.PROJECT_PERSONALITY}"
               checkout scm
             }
             sh '''#!/usr/bin/env bash
+              set -e
               rm -rf "output-srctarball/machine" && mkdir "output-srctarball/machine"
               "${BASEDIR}/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh" "output-srctarball/machine"
 '''
diff --git a/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh b/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh
index 589dffe9bf6..fa99d3f7e5c 100755
--- a/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh
+++ b/dev-support/gather_machine_environment.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ fi
 
 declare output=$1
 
+if [ ! -d "${output}" ] || [ ! -w "${output}" ]; then
+  echo "Specified output directory must exist and be writable." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 echo "getting machine specs, find in ${BUILD_URL}/artifact/${output}/"
 echo "JAVA_HOME: ${JAVA_HOME}" >"${output}/java_home" 2>&1 || true
 ls -l "${JAVA_HOME}" >"${output}/java_home_ls" 2>&1 || true