diff --git a/mintnet-kubernetes/app.template.yaml b/mintnet-kubernetes/app.template.yaml
index 781767100..b55fb67e3 100644
--- a/mintnet-kubernetes/app.template.yaml
+++ b/mintnet-kubernetes/app.template.yaml
@@ -129,11 +129,11 @@ spec:
             # wait until validator generates priv/pub key pair
             set +e
 
-            curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+            curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
             ERR=$?
             while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
               sleep 5
-              curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+              curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
               ERR=$?
             done
             set -e
diff --git a/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/basecoin/app.yaml b/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/basecoin/app.yaml
index fe667a8e4..1e35c4e27 100644
--- a/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/basecoin/app.yaml
+++ b/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/basecoin/app.yaml
@@ -188,11 +188,11 @@ spec:
             # wait until validator generates priv/pub key pair
             set +e
 
-            curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+            curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
             ERR=$?
             while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
               sleep 5
-              curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+              curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
               ERR=$?
             done
             set -e
@@ -247,11 +247,11 @@ spec:
             # wait until pod starts to serve its pub_key
             set +e
 
-            curl -s "http://$pod.$fqdn_suffix/app_pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+            curl -s --fail "http://$pod.$fqdn_suffix/app_pub_key.json" > /dev/null
             ERR=$?
             while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
               sleep 5
-              curl -s "http://$pod.$fqdn_suffix/app_pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+              curl -s --fail "http://$pod.$fqdn_suffix/app_pub_key.json" > /dev/null
               ERR=$?
             done
             set -e
diff --git a/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/counter/app.yaml b/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/counter/app.yaml
index 0a92631ab..2e1bdc6d3 100644
--- a/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/counter/app.yaml
+++ b/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/counter/app.yaml
@@ -121,11 +121,11 @@ spec:
             # wait until validator generates priv/pub key pair
             set +e
 
-            curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+            curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
             ERR=$?
             while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
               sleep 5
-              curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+              curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
               ERR=$?
             done
             set -e
diff --git a/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/dummy/app.yaml b/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/dummy/app.yaml
index 27ecdc0a1..d03be8ed5 100644
--- a/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/dummy/app.yaml
+++ b/mintnet-kubernetes/examples/dummy/app.yaml
@@ -121,11 +121,11 @@ spec:
             # wait until validator generates priv/pub key pair
             set +e
 
-            curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+            curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
             ERR=$?
             while [ "$ERR" != 0 ]; do
               sleep 5
-              curl -s "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
+              curl -s --fail "http://$v.$fqdn_suffix/pub_key.json" > /dev/null
               ERR=$?
             done
             set -e