lib/PublicInbox/LEI.pm | 2 +-

diff --git a/lib/PublicInbox/LEI.pm b/lib/PublicInbox/LEI.pm
index 89aa4119aef22f4868f9f738a0e7e516b3c42119..d81ca296250b493f4e05e1c00bcd2b7bb74781c3 100644
--- a/lib/PublicInbox/LEI.pm
+++ b/lib/PublicInbox/LEI.pm
@@ -1394,7 +1394,7 @@ 	my ($wq, $lei) = @$arg;
 	local $current_lei = $lei;
 	my $err_type = $lei->{-err_type};
 	$? and $lei->child_error($?,
-			$err_type ? "$err_type errors during $lei->{cmd}" : ());
+		$err_type ? "$err_type errors during $lei->{cmd} \$?=$?" : ());
 	$lei->dclose;
 }