diff --git a/tools/buildman/control.py b/tools/buildman/control.py
index b86d7b3c1f901f2598778e0b94e4543d863fe758..0b6ab03b4c3ad270cd5f5efd521c916d18fa1148 100644
--- a/tools/buildman/control.py
+++ b/tools/buildman/control.py
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ def DoBuildman(options, args, toolchains=None, make_func=None, boards=None,
         options.step = len(series.commits) - 1
 
     gnu_make = command.Output(os.path.join(options.git,
-                                           'scripts/show-gnu-make')).rstrip()
+            'scripts/show-gnu-make'), raise_on_error=False).rstrip()
     if not gnu_make:
         sys.exit('GNU Make not found')
 
diff --git a/tools/patman/checkpatch.py b/tools/patman/checkpatch.py
index 34a3bd22b08d274b665d2fcf4c47fd17629a92dc..3eef6de221062894d2a4c5551c2009e68fed7d00 100644
--- a/tools/patman/checkpatch.py
+++ b/tools/patman/checkpatch.py
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ def CheckPatch(fname, verbose=False):
     result.problems = []
     chk = FindCheckPatch()
     item = {}
-    result.stdout = command.Output(chk, '--no-tree', fname)
+    result.stdout = command.Output(chk, '--no-tree', fname,
+                                   raise_on_error=False)
     #pipe = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
     #stdout, stderr = pipe.communicate()
 
diff --git a/tools/patman/command.py b/tools/patman/command.py
index d586f1115866125f5768fe0971cb28474c970685..d1f0ca505c07f389e3abe0d5e76405b27035f605 100644
--- a/tools/patman/command.py
+++ b/tools/patman/command.py
@@ -104,8 +104,9 @@ def RunPipe(pipe_list, infile=None, outfile=None,
         raise Exception("Error running '%s'" % user_pipestr)
     return result
 
-def Output(*cmd):
-    return RunPipe([cmd], capture=True, raise_on_error=False).stdout
+def Output(*cmd, **kwargs):
+    raise_on_error = kwargs.get('raise_on_error', True)
+    return RunPipe([cmd], capture=True, raise_on_error=raise_on_error).stdout
 
 def OutputOneLine(*cmd, **kwargs):
     raise_on_error = kwargs.pop('raise_on_error', True)
diff --git a/tools/patman/gitutil.py b/tools/patman/gitutil.py
index e088baeb819e3895bcec5277e1f011d493904fbd..bb7c9e08bc2c3a50a4b9a6435e1fa345a9c5f651 100644
--- a/tools/patman/gitutil.py
+++ b/tools/patman/gitutil.py
@@ -391,7 +391,8 @@ def EmailPatches(series, cover_fname, args, dry_run, raise_on_error, cc_fname,
     """
     to = BuildEmailList(series.get('to'), '--to', alias, raise_on_error)
     if not to:
-        git_config_to = command.Output('git', 'config', 'sendemail.to')
+        git_config_to = command.Output('git', 'config', 'sendemail.to',
+                                       raise_on_error=False)
         if not git_config_to:
             print ("No recipient.\n"
                    "Please add something like this to a commit\n"