diff --git a/cmd/helm/install.go b/cmd/helm/install.go
index d01ee514a..0cce58916 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/install.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/install.go
@@ -206,7 +206,12 @@ func (i *installCmd) run() error {
 	}
 
 	if req, err := chartutil.LoadRequirements(chartRequested); err == nil {
-		checkDependencies(chartRequested, req, i.out)
+		// If checkDependencies returns an error, we have unfullfilled dependencies.
+		// As of Helm 2.4.0, this is treated as a stopping condition:
+		// https://github.com/kubernetes/helm/issues/2209
+		if err := checkDependencies(chartRequested, req, i.out); err != nil {
+			return prettyError(err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	res, err := i.client.InstallReleaseFromChart(
@@ -398,7 +403,9 @@ func defaultNamespace() string {
 	return "default"
 }
 
-func checkDependencies(ch *chart.Chart, reqs *chartutil.Requirements, out io.Writer) {
+func checkDependencies(ch *chart.Chart, reqs *chartutil.Requirements, out io.Writer) error {
+	missing := []string{}
+
 	deps := ch.GetDependencies()
 	for _, r := range reqs.Dependencies {
 		found := false
@@ -409,7 +416,12 @@ func checkDependencies(ch *chart.Chart, reqs *chartutil.Requirements, out io.Wri
 			}
 		}
 		if !found {
-			fmt.Fprintf(out, "Warning: %s is in requirements.yaml but not in the charts/ directory!\n", r.Name)
+			missing = append(missing, r.Name)
 		}
 	}
+
+	if len(missing) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("found in requirements.yaml, but missing in charts/ directory: %s", strings.Join(missing, ", "))
+	}
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/helm/install_test.go b/cmd/helm/install_test.go
index ee0ffe0e8..7e749afc7 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/install_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/install_test.go
@@ -134,9 +134,9 @@ func TestInstall(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		// Install, chart with missing dependencies in /charts
 		{
-			name:     "install chart with missing dependencies",
-			args:     []string{"testdata/testcharts/chart-missing-deps"},
-			expected: "Warning: reqsubchart2 is in requirements.yaml but not in the charts/ directory!",
+			name: "install chart with missing dependencies",
+			args: []string{"testdata/testcharts/chart-missing-deps"},
+			err:  true,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/helm/package.go b/cmd/helm/package.go
index a2da2c338..8b4e12e55 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/package.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/package.go
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@ func (p *packageCmd) run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	if reqs, err := chartutil.LoadRequirements(ch); err == nil {
-		checkDependencies(ch, reqs, p.out)
+		if err := checkDependencies(ch, reqs, p.out); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 	}
 
 	var dest string
diff --git a/cmd/helm/package_test.go b/cmd/helm/package_test.go
index 1d25260d4..683858cd8 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/package_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/package_test.go
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ func TestPackage(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:    "package testdata/testcharts/chart-missing-deps",
 			args:    []string{"testdata/testcharts/chart-missing-deps"},
-			expect:  "Warning: reqsubchart2 is in requirements.yaml but not in the charts/ directory!\n",
 			hasfile: "chart-missing-deps-0.1.0.tgz",
+			err:     true,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/helm/upgrade.go b/cmd/helm/upgrade.go
index ea8d667a1..433e5a7f6 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/upgrade.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/upgrade.go
@@ -166,7 +166,9 @@ func (u *upgradeCmd) run() error {
 	// Check chart requirements to make sure all dependencies are present in /charts
 	if ch, err := chartutil.Load(chartPath); err == nil {
 		if req, err := chartutil.LoadRequirements(ch); err == nil {
-			checkDependencies(ch, req, u.out)
+			if err := checkDependencies(ch, req, u.out); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/helm/upgrade_test.go b/cmd/helm/upgrade_test.go
index a913016e2..9ee1ae585 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/upgrade_test.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/upgrade_test.go
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@ func TestUpgradeCmd(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: "Release \"crazy-bunny\" has been upgraded. Happy Helming!\n",
 		},
 		{
-			name:     "upgrade a release with missing dependencies",
-			args:     []string{"bonkers-bunny", missingDepsPath},
-			resp:     releaseMock(&releaseOptions{name: "bonkers-bunny", version: 1, chart: ch3}),
-			expected: "Warning: reqsubchart2 is in requirements.yaml but not in the charts/ directory!",
+			name: "upgrade a release with missing dependencies",
+			args: []string{"bonkers-bunny", missingDepsPath},
+			resp: releaseMock(&releaseOptions{name: "bonkers-bunny", version: 1, chart: ch3}),
+			err:  true,
 		},
 	}