diff --git a/cmd/restic/global.go b/cmd/restic/global.go
index 07412925e..31d5aac16 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/global.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/global.go
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ func open(ctx context.Context, s string, gopts GlobalOptions, opts options.Optio
 
 	rt, err := backend.Transport(globalOptions.TransportOptions)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, errors.Fatal(err.Error())
 	}
 
 	// wrap the transport so that the throughput via HTTP is limited
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ func create(ctx context.Context, s string, gopts GlobalOptions, opts options.Opt
 
 	rt, err := backend.Transport(globalOptions.TransportOptions)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, errors.Fatal(err.Error())
 	}
 
 	factory := gopts.backends.Lookup(loc.Scheme)