diff --git a/builtin/apply.c b/builtin/apply.c
index ad0b87510b..a6469001dd 100644
--- a/builtin/apply.c
+++ b/builtin/apply.c
@@ -4099,11 +4099,11 @@ static int remove_file(struct apply_state *state, struct patch *patch, int rmdir
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void add_index_file(struct apply_state *state,
-			   const char *path,
-			   unsigned mode,
-			   void *buf,
-			   unsigned long size)
+static int add_index_file(struct apply_state *state,
+			  const char *path,
+			  unsigned mode,
+			  void *buf,
+			  unsigned long size)
 {
 	struct stat st;
 	struct cache_entry *ce;
@@ -4111,7 +4111,7 @@ static void add_index_file(struct apply_state *state,
 	unsigned ce_size = cache_entry_size(namelen);
 
 	if (!state->update_index)
-		return;
+		return 0;
 
 	ce = xcalloc(1, ce_size);
 	memcpy(ce->name, path, namelen);
@@ -4122,20 +4122,32 @@ static void add_index_file(struct apply_state *state,
 		const char *s;
 
 		if (!skip_prefix(buf, "Subproject commit ", &s) ||
-		    get_sha1_hex(s, ce->sha1))
-			die(_("corrupt patch for submodule %s"), path);
+		    get_sha1_hex(s, ce->sha1)) {
+			free(ce);
+			return error(_("corrupt patch for submodule %s"), path);
+		}
 	} else {
 		if (!state->cached) {
-			if (lstat(path, &st) < 0)
-				die_errno(_("unable to stat newly created file '%s'"),
-					  path);
+			if (lstat(path, &st) < 0) {
+				free(ce);
+				return error(_("unable to stat newly "
+					       "created file '%s': %s"),
+					     path, strerror(errno));
+			}
 			fill_stat_cache_info(ce, &st);
 		}
-		if (write_sha1_file(buf, size, blob_type, ce->sha1) < 0)
-			die(_("unable to create backing store for newly created file %s"), path);
+		if (write_sha1_file(buf, size, blob_type, ce->sha1) < 0) {
+			free(ce);
+			return error(_("unable to create backing store "
+				       "for newly created file %s"), path);
+		}
 	}
-	if (add_cache_entry(ce, ADD_CACHE_OK_TO_ADD) < 0)
-		die(_("unable to add cache entry for %s"), path);
+	if (add_cache_entry(ce, ADD_CACHE_OK_TO_ADD) < 0) {
+		free(ce);
+		return error(_("unable to add cache entry for %s"), path);
+	}
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static int try_create_file(const char *path, unsigned int mode, const char *buf, unsigned long size)
@@ -4271,8 +4283,10 @@ static void create_file(struct apply_state *state, struct patch *patch)
 	if (patch->conflicted_threeway) {
 		if (add_conflicted_stages_file(state, patch))
 			exit(128);
-	} else
-		add_index_file(state, path, mode, buf, size);
+	} else {
+		if (add_index_file(state, path, mode, buf, size))
+			exit(128);
+	}
 }
 
 /* phase zero is to remove, phase one is to create */