if (!strcmp("append-fetch-head", argv[1])) {
                int result;
                FILE *fp;
+               char *filename;
 
                if (argc != 8)
                        return error("append-fetch-head takes 6 args");
-               fp = fopen(git_path("FETCH_HEAD"), "a");
+               filename = git_path("FETCH_HEAD");
+               fp = fopen(filename, "a");
+               if (!fp)
+                       return error("cannot open %s: %s\n", filename, strerror(errno));
                result = append_fetch_head(fp, argv[2], argv[3],
                                           argv[4], argv[5],
                                           argv[6], !!argv[7][0],
        if (!strcmp("native-store", argv[1])) {
                int result;
                FILE *fp;
+               char *filename;
 
                if (argc != 5)
                        return error("fetch-native-store takes 3 args");
-               fp = fopen(git_path("FETCH_HEAD"), "a");
+               filename = git_path("FETCH_HEAD");
+               fp = fopen(filename, "a");
+               if (!fp)
+                       return error("cannot open %s: %s\n", filename, strerror(errno));
                result = fetch_native_store(fp, argv[2], argv[3], argv[4],
                                            verbose, force);
                fclose(fp);