kwargs["stdout"] = DEVNULL
         return subprocess.call(self._command + cmd, **kwargs)
 
+    def _do_check(self, cmd, quiet=True, **kwargs):
+        if quiet:
+            kwargs["stdout"] = DEVNULL
+        return subprocess.check_call(self._command + cmd, **kwargs)
+
     def _do_kill_instances(self, only_known, only_active=True):
         cmd = ["ps", "-q"]
         if not only_active:
                                     extra_files_cksum)))
         tmp_df.flush()
 
-        self._do(["build", "-t", tag, "-f", tmp_df.name] + argv + \
-                 [docker_dir],
-                 quiet=quiet)
+        self._do_check(["build", "-t", tag, "-f", tmp_df.name] + argv + \
+                       [docker_dir],
+                       quiet=quiet)
 
     def update_image(self, tag, tarball, quiet=True):
         "Update a tagged image using "
 
-        self._do(["build", "-t", tag, "-"], quiet=quiet, stdin=tarball)
+        self._do_check(["build", "-t", tag, "-"], quiet=quiet, stdin=tarball)
 
     def image_matches_dockerfile(self, tag, dockerfile):
         try:
         label = uuid.uuid1().hex
         if not keep:
             self._instances.append(label)
-        ret = self._do(["run", "--label",
-                        "com.qemu.instance.uuid=" + label] + cmd,
-                       quiet=quiet)
+        ret = self._do_check(["run", "--label",
+                             "com.qemu.instance.uuid=" + label] + cmd,
+                             quiet=quiet)
         if not keep:
             self._instances.remove(label)
         return ret