diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/run.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/run.go
index 5526ff4b1a6..3b1fb878d9e 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/run.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/run.go
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ func RunRun(f cmdutil.Factory, cmdIn io.Reader, cmdOut, cmdErr io.Writer, cmd *c
 				return unknownRcErr
 			}
 			return uexec.CodeExitError{
-				Err:  fmt.Errorf("pod %s/%s terminated", pod.Namespace, pod.Name),
+				Err:  fmt.Errorf("pod %s/%s terminated (%s)\n%s", pod.Namespace, pod.Name, pod.Status.ContainerStatuses[0].State.Terminated.Reason, pod.Status.ContainerStatuses[0].State.Terminated.Message),
 				Code: int(rc),
 			}
 		default:
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
index dceceb077b1..bf5f57ce5ab 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers.go
@@ -166,8 +166,7 @@ func checkErr(err error, handleErr func(string, int)) {
 		case utilerrors.Aggregate:
 			handleErr(MultipleErrors(``, err.Errors()), DefaultErrorExitCode)
 		case utilexec.ExitError:
-			// do not print anything, only terminate with given error
-			handleErr("", err.ExitStatus())
+			handleErr(err.Error(), err.ExitStatus())
 		default: // for any other error type
 			msg, ok := StandardErrorMessage(err)
 			if !ok {
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
index 87fa3c8a593..eb64a960213 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util/helpers_test.go
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ func TestCheckExitError(t *testing.T) {
 	testCheckError(t, []checkErrTestCase{
 		{
 			uexec.CodeExitError{Err: fmt.Errorf("pod foo/bar terminated"), Code: 42},
-			"",
+			"pod foo/bar terminated",
 			42,
 		},
 	})