diff --git a/pkg/cmd/template.go b/pkg/cmd/template.go
index a51662385..9909b74d9 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/template.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/template.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func newTemplateCmd(cfg *action.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 				}
 				return err
 			}
+			savedErr := err
 
 			// We ignore a potential error here because, when the --debug flag was specified,
 			// we always want to print the YAML, even if it is not valid. The error is still returned afterwards.
@@ -177,9 +178,9 @@ func newTemplateCmd(cfg *action.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 							missing = false
 						}
 						if missing {
-							if err != nil && settings.Debug {
+							if savedErr != nil && settings.Debug {
 								// assume the manifest itself is too malformed to be rendered
-								return err
+								return savedErr
 							} else {
 								return fmt.Errorf("could not find template %s in chart", f)
 							}
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ func newTemplateCmd(cfg *action.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 				}
 			}
 
-			return err
+			return savedErr
 		},
 	}