diff --git a/bin/compose b/bin/compose
index 411098a..b1e2519 100755
--- a/bin/compose
+++ b/bin/compose
@@ -678,6 +678,10 @@ get_docker_compose_links() {
     done < <(get_compose_relations "$service") || return 1
 
     merge_yaml_str "${deps[@]}" | tee "$cache_file"
+    if [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" != 0 ]; then
+        rm "$cache_file"
+        return 1
+    fi
 }
 
 
@@ -702,6 +706,10 @@ _get_docker_compose_opts() {
     if [ "$docker_compose_opts" ]; then
         yaml_key_val_str "$master_charm" "$docker_compose_opts"
     fi | tee "$cache_file"
+    if [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" != 0 ]; then
+        rm "$cache_file"
+        return 1
+    fi
 }
 
 
@@ -745,6 +753,11 @@ _get_docker_compose_service_mixin() {
     else
         echo "$links_yaml"
     fi | tee "$cache_file"
+    if [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" != 0 ]; then
+        rm "$cache_file"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
 }
 export -f _get_docker_compose_service_mixin
 
@@ -820,6 +833,11 @@ _get_compose_service_def_cached () {
     service_def_base="charm: $service"
     value=$(echo "$docker_compose" | shyaml get-value "$service" 2>/dev/null)
     merge_yaml <(echo "$service_def_base") <(echo "$value") | tee "$cache_file"
+    if [ "${PIPESTATUS[0]}" != 0 ]; then
+        rm "$cache_file"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
 }
 export -f _get_compose_service_def_cached