diff --git a/charmhelpers/fetch/ubuntu.py b/charmhelpers/fetch/ubuntu.py
index d0089eb7f..37a6eaa5a 100644
--- a/charmhelpers/fetch/ubuntu.py
+++ b/charmhelpers/fetch/ubuntu.py
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@
 ])
 
 
-APT_NO_LOCK = 100  # The return code for "couldn't acquire lock" in APT.
+APT_ERROR_CODE = 100  # The return code for APT errors.
 CMD_RETRY_DELAY = 10  # Wait 10 seconds between command retries.
 CMD_RETRY_COUNT = 10  # Retry a failing fatal command X times.
 
@@ -444,6 +444,8 @@ def apt_upgrade(options=None, fatal=False, dist=False):
 def apt_update(fatal=False):
     """Update local apt cache."""
     cmd = ['apt-get', 'update']
+    if fatal:
+        cmd.append("--error-on=any")
     _run_apt_command(cmd, fatal)
 
 
@@ -1001,8 +1003,7 @@ def _run_apt_command(cmd, fatal=False, quiet=False):
     """
     if fatal:
         _run_with_retries(
-            cmd, retry_exitcodes=(1, APT_NO_LOCK,),
-            retry_message="Couldn't acquire DPKG lock",
+            cmd, retry_exitcodes=(1, APT_ERROR_CODE,),
             quiet=quiet)
     else:
         kwargs = {}
diff --git a/tests/fetch/test_fetch_ubuntu.py b/tests/fetch/test_fetch_ubuntu.py
index be5add582..619f045a9 100644
--- a/tests/fetch/test_fetch_ubuntu.py
+++ b/tests/fetch/test_fetch_ubuntu.py
@@ -1073,7 +1073,7 @@ def test_apt_unhold_fatal(self, apt_mark):
     def test_apt_update_fatal(self, check_call):
         fetch.apt_update(fatal=True)
         check_call.assert_called_with(
-            ['apt-get', 'update'],
+            ['apt-get', 'update', '--error-on=any'],
             env={})
 
     @patch('subprocess.call')