diff --git a/rerere.c b/rerere.c
index 1b0555f1a5a0233e931b13a088c052a56aef3977..31644dec04fe4a77d43624720ff516de2d746dbc 100644
--- a/rerere.c
+++ b/rerere.c
@@ -477,27 +477,23 @@ static int merge(const char *name, const char *path)
 
 static struct lock_file index_lock;
 
-static int update_paths(struct string_list *update)
+static void update_paths(struct string_list *update)
 {
 	int i;
-	int fd = hold_locked_index(&index_lock, 0);
-	int status = 0;
 
-	if (fd < 0)
-		return -1;
+	hold_locked_index(&index_lock, 1);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < update->nr; i++) {
 		struct string_list_item *item = &update->items[i];
-		if (add_file_to_cache(item->string, ADD_CACHE_IGNORE_ERRORS))
-			status = -1;
+		if (add_file_to_cache(item->string, 0))
+			exit(128);
 	}
 
-	if (!status && active_cache_changed) {
+	if (active_cache_changed) {
 		if (write_locked_index(&the_index, &index_lock, COMMIT_LOCK))
 			die("Unable to write new index file");
-	} else if (fd >= 0)
+	} else
 		rollback_lock_file(&index_lock);
-	return status;
 }
 
 static int do_plain_rerere(struct string_list *rr, int fd)