diff --git a/usr.bin/make/job.c b/usr.bin/make/job.c
index b08285cee925..bf6fd55efeed 100644
--- a/usr.bin/make/job.c
+++ b/usr.bin/make/job.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: job.c,v 1.435 2021/06/16 09:47:51 rillig Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: job.c,v 1.436 2021/10/24 18:45:46 sjg Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1988, 1989, 1990 The Regents of the University of California.
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
 #include "trace.h"
 
 /*	"@(#)job.c	8.2 (Berkeley) 3/19/94"	*/
-MAKE_RCSID("$NetBSD: job.c,v 1.435 2021/06/16 09:47:51 rillig Exp $");
+MAKE_RCSID("$NetBSD: job.c,v 1.436 2021/10/24 18:45:46 sjg Exp $");
 
 /*
  * A shell defines how the commands are run.  All commands for a target are
@@ -765,8 +765,8 @@ ShellWriter_WriteFmt(ShellWriter *wr, const char *fmt, const char *arg)
 	DEBUG1(JOB, fmt, arg);
 
 	(void)fprintf(wr->f, fmt, arg);
-	/* XXX: Is flushing needed in any case, or only if f == stdout? */
-	(void)fflush(wr->f);
+	if (wr->f == stdout)
+		(void)fflush(wr->f);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1163,7 +1163,9 @@ JobFinish(Job *job, int status)
 
 		JobClosePipes(job);
 		if (job->cmdFILE != NULL && job->cmdFILE != stdout) {
-			(void)fclose(job->cmdFILE);
+			if (fclose(job->cmdFILE) != 0)
+				Punt("Cannot write shell script for '%s': %s",
+				    job->node->name, strerror(errno));
 			job->cmdFILE = NULL;
 		}
 		done = true;
@@ -1526,7 +1528,9 @@ JobExec(Job *job, char **argv)
 	watchfd(job);
 
 	if (job->cmdFILE != NULL && job->cmdFILE != stdout) {
-		(void)fclose(job->cmdFILE);
+		if (fclose(job->cmdFILE) != 0)
+			Punt("Cannot write shell script for '%s': %s",
+			    job->node->name, strerror(errno));
 		job->cmdFILE = NULL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/make/meta.c b/usr.bin/make/meta.c
index e08ff9d65a22..e31b8a4301b6 100644
--- a/usr.bin/make/meta.c
+++ b/usr.bin/make/meta.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*      $NetBSD: meta.c,v 1.183 2021/08/19 15:50:30 rillig Exp $ */
+/*      $NetBSD: meta.c,v 1.184 2021/10/24 18:45:46 sjg Exp $ */
 
 /*
  * Implement 'meta' mode.
@@ -145,11 +145,11 @@ meta_open_filemon(BuildMon *pbm)
     else
 	pbm->mon_fd = mkTempFile("filemon.XXXXXX", NULL, 0);
     if ((dupfd = dup(pbm->mon_fd)) == -1) {
-	err(1, "Could not dup filemon output!");
+	Punt("Could not dup filemon output: %s", strerror(errno));
     }
     (void)fcntl(dupfd, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC);
     if (filemon_setfd(pbm->filemon, dupfd) == -1) {
-	err(1, "Could not set filemon file descriptor!");
+	Punt("Could not set filemon file descriptor: %s", strerror(errno));
     }
     /* we don't need these once we exec */
     (void)fcntl(pbm->mon_fd, F_SETFD, FD_CLOEXEC);
@@ -187,7 +187,9 @@ filemon_read(FILE *mfp, int fd)
 		error = EIO;
 	}
     }
-    fflush(mfp);
+    if (fflush(mfp) != 0)
+	Punt("Cannot write filemon data to meta file: %s",
+	    strerror(errno));
     if (close(fd) < 0)
 	error = errno;
     return error;
@@ -518,7 +520,7 @@ meta_create(BuildMon *pbm, GNode *gn)
 #endif
 
     if ((fp = fopen(fname, "w")) == NULL)
-	err(1, "Could not open meta file '%s'", fname);
+	Punt("Could not open meta file '%s': %s", fname, strerror(errno));
 
     fprintf(fp, "# Meta data file %s\n", fname);
 
@@ -536,7 +538,9 @@ meta_create(BuildMon *pbm, GNode *gn)
     }
 
     fprintf(fp, "-- command output --\n");
-    fflush(fp);
+    if (fflush(fp) != 0)
+	Punt("Cannot write expanded command to meta file: %s",
+	    strerror(errno));
 
     Global_Append(".MAKE.META.FILES", fname);
     Global_Append(".MAKE.META.CREATED", fname);
@@ -710,7 +714,7 @@ meta_job_child(Job *job)
 
 	    pid = getpid();
 	    if (filemon_setpid_child(pbm->filemon, pid) == -1) {
-		err(1, "Could not set filemon pid!");
+		Punt("Could not set filemon pid: %s", strerror(errno));
 	    }
 	}
     }
@@ -850,8 +854,10 @@ meta_cmd_finish(void *pbmp)
     if (pbm->filemon != NULL) {
 	while (filemon_process(pbm->filemon) > 0)
 	    continue;
-	if (filemon_close(pbm->filemon) == -1)
+	if (filemon_close(pbm->filemon) == -1) {
 	    error = errno;
+	    Punt("filemon failed: %s", strerror(errno));
+	}
 	x = filemon_read(pbm->mfp, pbm->mon_fd);
 	if (error == 0 && x != 0)
 	    error = x;