diff --git a/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js b/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js
index 16ff2d38a46b53413782d667eab6d1b32e21b55e..befbd60593ad7200bce86643a1fc7d0e606677d1 100644
--- a/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js
+++ b/lib/workers/branch/lock-files.js
@@ -428,6 +428,11 @@ async function getUpdatedLockFiles(config) {
           }
         }
       }
+      // istanbul ignore if
+      if (res.stderr && res.stderr.includes('Host key verification failed')) {
+        logger.info({ stderr: res.stderr }, 'Host key verification failed');
+        throw new Error('internal-error');
+      }
       lockFileErrors.push({
         lockFile: lockFileName,
         stderr: res.stderr,