diff --git a/doc/source/bootstrapdocs.py b/doc/source/bootstrapdocs.py
index d3d2b253870a..830071a3cf9e 100644
--- a/doc/source/bootstrapdocs.py
+++ b/doc/source/bootstrapdocs.py
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 import json
 import os
 import subprocess
+import sys
 
 RST_GENERATION_SCRIPT = 'htmlgen'
 script_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
                            RST_GENERATION_SCRIPT)
 os.environ['PATH'] += ':.'
-#status = os.spawnlpe(os.P_WAIT, script_path, os.environ)
-subprocess.call("python "+script_path, shell=True, env=os.environ)
+rc = subprocess.call("python "+ script_path, shell=True, env=os.environ)
+if rc != 0:
+    sys.stderr.write("Failed to generate documentation!\n")
+    sys.exit(2)