diff --git a/ironic/common/exception.py b/ironic/common/exception.py
index f619b5b12a..05e8533f7a 100644
--- a/ironic/common/exception.py
+++ b/ironic/common/exception.py
@@ -753,3 +753,8 @@ class PortgroupPhysnetInconsistent(IronicException):
 class VifInvalidForAttach(Conflict):
     _msg_fmt = _("Unable to attach VIF %(vif)s to node %(node)s. Reason: "
                  "%(reason)s")
+
+
+class AgentAPIError(IronicException):
+    _msg_fmt = _('Agent API for node %(node)s returned status %(status)s with '
+                 'error %(error)s')
diff --git a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_client.py b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_client.py
index e908bd646c..fb45948c62 100644
--- a/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_client.py
+++ b/ironic/drivers/modules/agent_client.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from ironic_lib import metrics_utils
 from oslo_log import log
 from oslo_serialization import jsonutils
 import requests
+from six.moves import http_client
 
 from ironic.common import exception
 from ironic.common.i18n import _
@@ -90,6 +91,16 @@ class AgentClient(object):
                    'res': result.get('command_result'),
                    'error': result.get('command_error'),
                    'code': response.status_code})
+
+        if response.status_code >= http_client.BAD_REQUEST:
+            LOG.error('Agent command %(method)s for node %(node)s failed '
+                      'expected 2xx HTTP status code, got %(code)d.',
+                      {'method': method, 'node': node.uuid,
+                       'code': response.status_code})
+            raise exception.AgentAPIError(node=node.uuid,
+                                          status=response.status_code,
+                                          error=result.get('faultstring'))
+
         return result
 
     @METRICS.timer('AgentClient.get_commands_status')
diff --git a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_client.py b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_client.py
index 5f81decaa0..3c8ca31fdd 100644
--- a/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_client.py
+++ b/ironic/tests/unit/drivers/modules/test_agent_client.py
@@ -25,11 +25,10 @@ from ironic.tests import base
 
 
 class MockResponse(object):
-    status_code = http_client.OK
-
-    def __init__(self, text):
+    def __init__(self, text, status_code=http_client.OK):
         assert isinstance(text, six.string_types)
         self.text = text
+        self.status_code = status_code
 
     def json(self):
         return json.loads(self.text)
@@ -133,6 +132,25 @@ class TestAgentClient(base.TestCase):
                          {'method': method, 'node': self.node.uuid,
                           'error': error}, str(e))
 
+    def test__command_error_code(self):
+        response_text = '{"faultstring": "you dun goofd"}'
+        self.client.session.post.return_value = MockResponse(
+            response_text, status_code=http_client.BAD_REQUEST)
+        method = 'standby.run_image'
+        image_info = {'image_id': 'test_image'}
+        params = {'image_info': image_info}
+
+        url = self.client._get_command_url(self.node)
+        body = self.client._get_command_body(method, params)
+
+        self.assertRaises(exception.AgentAPIError,
+                          self.client._command,
+                          self.node, method, params)
+        self.client.session.post.assert_called_once_with(
+            url,
+            data=body,
+            params={'wait': 'false'})
+
     def test_get_commands_status(self):
         with mock.patch.object(self.client.session, 'get',
                                autospec=True) as mock_get:
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/add-agent-api-error-77ec6c272390c488.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/add-agent-api-error-77ec6c272390c488.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c28c89bf98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/add-agent-api-error-77ec6c272390c488.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+fixes:
+  - Fixes propagation of HTTP errors from **ironic-python-agent** commands. Now
+    an operation is aborted on receiving HTTP error status from the ramdisk.