diff --git a/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c b/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c
index 6e9304e254f..cd5faf3370a 100644
--- a/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c
+++ b/src/bin/pgbench/pgbench.c
@@ -3078,7 +3078,13 @@ commandFailed(CState *st, const char *cmd, const char *message)
 static void
 commandError(CState *st, const char *message)
 {
-	Assert(sql_script[st->use_file].commands[st->command]->type == SQL_COMMAND);
+	/*
+	 Errors should only be detected during an SQL command or the \endpipeline
+	 meta command. Any other case triggers an assertion failure.
+	 */
+	Assert(sql_script[st->use_file].commands[st->command]->type == SQL_COMMAND ||
+		   sql_script[st->use_file].commands[st->command]->meta == META_ENDPIPELINE);
+
 	pg_log_info("client %d got an error in command %d (SQL) of script %d; %s",
 				st->id, st->command, st->use_file, message);
 }
@@ -3525,9 +3531,7 @@ discardUntilSync(CState *st)
 	{
 		PGresult   *res = PQgetResult(st->con);
 
-		if (PQresultStatus(res) == PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC)
-			received_sync = true;
-		else if (received_sync)
+		if (received_sync == true)
 		{
 			/*
 			 * PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC must be followed by another
@@ -3541,11 +3545,23 @@ discardUntilSync(CState *st)
 			 */
 			st->num_syncs = 0;
 			PQclear(res);
-			break;
+			goto done;
 		}
-		PQclear(res);
+
+		switch (PQresultStatus(res))
+		{
+			case PGRES_PIPELINE_SYNC:
+				received_sync = true;
+			case PGRES_FATAL_ERROR:
+				PQclear(res);
+				goto done;
+			default:
+				PQclear(res);
+		}
+
 	}
 
+done:
 	/* exit pipeline */
 	if (PQexitPipelineMode(st->con) != 1)
 	{