diff --git a/cmd/helm/install.go b/cmd/helm/install.go
index 40935db17..a0a165acf 100644
--- a/cmd/helm/install.go
+++ b/cmd/helm/install.go
@@ -113,11 +113,15 @@ func newInstallCmd(cfg *action.Configuration, out io.Writer) *cobra.Command {
 		Args:  require.MinimumNArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(_ *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			rel, err := runInstall(args, client, valueOpts, out)
-			if err != nil {
+			if rel == nil && err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			return outfmt.Write(out, &statusPrinter{rel, settings.Debug})
+			if werr := outfmt.Write(out, &statusPrinter{rel, settings.Debug}); werr != nil {
+				err = werr
+			}
+
+			return err
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/action/install.go b/pkg/action/install.go
index 4019dbc54..26a1493a3 100644
--- a/pkg/action/install.go
+++ b/pkg/action/install.go
@@ -228,7 +228,10 @@ func (i *Install) Run(chrt *chart.Chart, vals map[string]interface{}) (*release.
 
 	resources, err := i.cfg.KubeClient.Build(bytes.NewBufferString(rel.Manifest), true)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "unable to build kubernetes objects from release manifest")
+		err = errors.Wrap(err, "unable to build kubernetes objects from release manifest")
+		rel.SetStatus(release.StatusFailed, err.Error())
+		// Return a release with partial data so that the client can show debugging information.
+		return rel, err
 	}
 
 	// Install requires an extra validation step of checking that resources