diff --git a/crates/clawhdf5-remote/src/cache.rs b/crates/clawhdf5-remote/src/cache.rs
index 233938c..a434814 100644
--- a/crates/clawhdf5-remote/src/cache.rs
+++ b/crates/clawhdf5-remote/src/cache.rs
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ type Block = Arc<[u8]>;
 
 /// A fetch in progress: the readers waiting for a block wait on this.
 struct Flight {
-    result: Mutex<Option<Result<Block, String>>>,
+    result: Mutex<Option<Result<Block, FormatError>>>,
     done: Condvar,
 }
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ impl Flight {
         })
     }
 
-    fn finish(&self, r: Result<Block, String>) {
+    fn finish(&self, r: Result<Block, FormatError>) {
         let mut slot = lock(&self.result);
         if slot.is_none() {
             *slot = Some(r);
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ impl Flight {
         self.done.notify_all();
     }
 
-    fn wait(&self) -> Result<Block, String> {
+    fn wait(&self) -> Result<Block, FormatError> {
         let mut slot = lock(&self.result);
         loop {
             if let Some(r) = slot.as_ref() {
@@ -173,10 +173,20 @@ pub struct BlockCache<S> {
 }
 
 /// Fails every flight a fetch claimed and did not complete (an error or a
-/// panic in the backend), so no reader waits forever.
+/// panic in the backend), so no reader waits forever. The waiting readers
+/// get the fetch's error.
 struct FlightGuard<'a, S> {
     cache: &'a BlockCache<S>,
     flights: Vec<(u64, Arc<Flight>)>,
+    error: Option<FormatError>,
+}
+
+impl<S> FlightGuard<'_, S> {
+    /// Record `e` for the readers waiting on this fetch; returns it.
+    fn fail(&mut self, e: FormatError) -> FormatError {
+        self.error = Some(e.clone());
+        e
+    }
 }
 
 impl<S> Drop for FlightGuard<'_, S> {
@@ -191,8 +201,12 @@ impl<S> Drop for FlightGuard<'_, S> {
             }
         }
         drop(st);
+        let error = self
+            .error
+            .take()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| FormatError::Storage("the fetch of this block failed".into()));
         for (_, f) in &self.flights {
-            f.finish(Err("the fetch of this block failed".into()));
+            f.finish(Err(error.clone()));
         }
     }
 }
@@ -348,6 +362,7 @@ impl<S: Storage> BlockCache<S> {
         let mut guard = FlightGuard {
             cache: self,
             flights: Vec::new(),
+            error: None,
         };
         {
             let mut st = lock(&self.state);
@@ -410,13 +425,16 @@ impl<S: Storage> BlockCache<S> {
             self.counters
                 .requests
                 .fetch_add(runs.len() as u64, Ordering::Relaxed);
-            let fetched = self.inner.read_ranges(&runs)?;
+            let fetched = match self.inner.read_ranges(&runs) {
+                Ok(f) => f,
+                Err(e) => return Err(guard.fail(e)),
+            };
             if fetched.len() != runs.len() {
-                return Err(FormatError::Storage(format!(
+                return Err(guard.fail(FormatError::Storage(format!(
                     "backend returned {} ranges for {} requested",
                     fetched.len(),
                     runs.len()
-                )));
+                ))));
             }
             let mut got: Vec<(u64, Block)> = Vec::with_capacity(guard.flights.len());
             for (run, bytes) in runs.iter().zip(&fetched) {
@@ -424,12 +442,12 @@ impl<S: Storage> BlockCache<S> {
                     .bytes_fetched
                     .fetch_add(bytes.len() as u64, Ordering::Relaxed);
                 if bytes.len() as u64 != run.end - run.start {
-                    return Err(FormatError::Storage(format!(
+                    return Err(guard.fail(FormatError::Storage(format!(
                         "short read from the backend: {} of {} bytes at offset {}",
                         bytes.len(),
                         run.end - run.start,
                         run.start
-                    )));
+                    ))));
                 }
                 let bs = self.config.block_size;
                 let mut i = run.start / bs;
@@ -476,12 +494,7 @@ impl<S: Storage> BlockCache<S> {
         }
 
         for (i, f) in waits {
-            match f.wait() {
-                Ok(data) => {
-                    have.insert(i, data);
-                }
-                Err(e) => return Err(FormatError::Storage(e)),
-            }
+            have.insert(i, f.wait()?);
         }
         Ok(have)
     }
@@ -786,6 +799,34 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    /// A slow backend whose fetches all fail with a telling error.
+    struct SlowFailing;
+
+    impl Storage for SlowFailing {
+        fn read_at(&self, _: u64, _: usize) -> Result<Cow<'_, [u8]>, FormatError> {
+            std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50));
+            Err(FormatError::Storage("the file changed while open".into()))
+        }
+        fn len(&self) -> u64 {
+            1 << 20
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn readers_waiting_on_a_failed_fetch_get_its_error() {
+        let c = BlockCache::new(SlowFailing, small());
+        std::thread::scope(|s| {
+            let hs: Vec<_> = (0..4)
+                .map(|_| s.spawn(|| c.read_at(0, 10).map(|b| b.len())))
+                .collect();
+            for h in hs {
+                let e = h.join().unwrap().unwrap_err().to_string();
+                assert!(e.contains("changed while open"), "{e}");
+            }
+        });
+        assert!(c.stats().waits > 0);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn concurrent_readers_never_fetch_a_block_twice() {
         let d = data(64 * 1024);
diff --git a/crates/clawhdf5-remote/tests/http.rs b/crates/clawhdf5-remote/tests/http.rs
index b0a0e34..5a68072 100644
--- a/crates/clawhdf5-remote/tests/http.rs
+++ b/crates/clawhdf5-remote/tests/http.rs
@@ -301,11 +301,7 @@ fn a_server_that_ignores_range_is_refused_or_downloaded_when_allowed() {
         matches!(err, Error::Remote(RemoteError::RangeNotSupported(_))),
         "{err}"
     );
-    assert!(
-        server.bytes() < bytes.len() as u64,
-        "refusing must not download the file ({} bytes read)",
-        server.bytes()
-    );
+    assert_eq!(server.requests(), 1, "refused at the first response");
     let mut opts = quick();
     opts.http.allow_full_download = true;
     let storage = storage_for_url(&url, &opts).unwrap();