diff --git a/cluster/kube-up.sh b/cluster/kube-up.sh
index 3b660ef678f..194989fe259 100755
--- a/cluster/kube-up.sh
+++ b/cluster/kube-up.sh
@@ -53,19 +53,20 @@ echo "... calling kube-up" >&2
 kube-up
 
 echo "... calling validate-cluster" >&2
-if [[ "${EXIT_ON_WEAK_ERROR}" == "true" ]]; then
-	validate-cluster
-else
-	validate-cluster
-	validate_result="$?"
-	if [[ ${validate_result} != "0" ]]; then
-		if [[ "${validate_result}" == "1" ]]; then
-			exit 1
-		elif [[ "${validate_result}" == "2" ]]; then
-			echo "...ignoring non-fatal errors in validate-cluster" >&2
-		else
-			echo "Got unknown validate result: ${validate_result}"
-		fi
+# Override errexit
+(validate-cluster) && validate_result="$?" || validate_result="$?"
+
+# We have two different failure modes from validate cluster:
+# - 1: fatal error - cluster won't be working correctly
+# - 2: weak error - something went wrong, but cluster probably will be working correctly
+# We always exit in case 1), but if EXIT_ON_WEAK_ERROR != true, then we don't fail on 2).
+if [[ "${validate_result}" == "1" ]]; then
+	exit 1
+elif [[ "${validate_result}" == "2" ]]; then
+	if [[ "${EXIT_ON_WEAK_ERROR}" == "true" ]]; then
+		exit 1;
+	else
+		echo "...ignoring non-fatal errors in validate-cluster" >&2
 	fi
 fi