diff --git a/builtin/apply.c b/builtin/apply.c
index 075ada47d4..5530ba13ec 100644
--- a/builtin/apply.c
+++ b/builtin/apply.c
@@ -4578,15 +4578,18 @@ static int apply_all_patches(struct apply_state *state,
 					      arg);
 
 		fd = open(arg, O_RDONLY);
-		if (fd < 0)
-			die_errno(_("can't open patch '%s'"), arg);
+		if (fd < 0) {
+			error(_("can't open patch '%s': %s"), arg, strerror(errno));
+			res = -128;
+			goto end;
+		}
 		read_stdin = 0;
 		set_default_whitespace_mode(state);
 		res = apply_patch(state, fd, arg, options);
+		close(fd);
 		if (res < 0)
 			goto end;
 		errs |= res;
-		close(fd);
 	}
 	set_default_whitespace_mode(state);
 	if (read_stdin) {
@@ -4606,11 +4609,14 @@ static int apply_all_patches(struct apply_state *state,
 				   squelched),
 				squelched);
 		}
-		if (state->ws_error_action == die_on_ws_error)
-			die(Q_("%d line adds whitespace errors.",
-			       "%d lines add whitespace errors.",
-			       state->whitespace_error),
-			    state->whitespace_error);
+		if (state->ws_error_action == die_on_ws_error) {
+			error(Q_("%d line adds whitespace errors.",
+				 "%d lines add whitespace errors.",
+				 state->whitespace_error),
+			      state->whitespace_error);
+			res = -128;
+			goto end;
+		}
 		if (state->applied_after_fixing_ws && state->apply)
 			warning("%d line%s applied after"
 				" fixing whitespace errors.",
@@ -4624,15 +4630,24 @@ static int apply_all_patches(struct apply_state *state,
 	}
 
 	if (state->update_index) {
-		if (write_locked_index(&the_index, state->lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK))
-			die(_("Unable to write new index file"));
+		res = write_locked_index(&the_index, state->lock_file, COMMIT_LOCK);
+		if (res) {
+			error(_("Unable to write new index file"));
+			res = -128;
+			goto end;
+		}
 		state->newfd = -1;
 	}
 
 	return !!errs;
 
 end:
-	exit(res == -1 ? 1 : 128);
+	if (state->newfd >= 0) {
+		rollback_lock_file(state->lock_file);
+		state->newfd = -1;
+	}
+
+	return (res == -1 ? 1 : 128);
 }
 
 int cmd_apply(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)