diff --git a/lib/platform/git/storage.ts b/lib/platform/git/storage.ts
index 85a2383cb1127c93a1c55463710fa62d9d98addf..3abd432ef896737e1b9badb29835f87e37dc606c 100644
--- a/lib/platform/git/storage.ts
+++ b/lib/platform/git/storage.ts
@@ -235,7 +235,12 @@ export class Storage {
     logger.debug('Setting branchPrefix: ' + branchPrefix);
     this._config.branchPrefix = branchPrefix;
     const ref = `refs/heads/${branchPrefix}*:refs/remotes/origin/${branchPrefix}*`;
-    await this._git!.fetch(['origin', ref, '--depth=2', '--force']);
+    try {
+      await this._git!.fetch(['origin', ref, '--depth=2', '--force']);
+    } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
+      checkForPlatformFailure(err);
+      throw err;
+    }
   }
 
   async getFileList(branchName?: string) {