diff --git a/src/link/MachO.zig b/src/link/MachO.zig
index 9983235d4f1d..43d6733132ce 100644
--- a/src/link/MachO.zig
+++ b/src/link/MachO.zig
@@ -572,6 +572,9 @@ pub fn flushModule(self: *MachO, comp: *Compilation) !void {
             try self.populateMissingMetadata();
         }
 
+        var lib_not_found = false;
+        var framework_not_found = false;
+
         if (needs_full_relink) {
             for (self.objects.items) |*object| {
                 object.free(self.base.allocator, self);
@@ -688,7 +691,6 @@ pub fn flushModule(self: *MachO, comp: *Compilation) !void {
             }
 
             var libs = std.ArrayList([]const u8).init(arena);
-            var lib_not_found = false;
             for (search_lib_names.items) |lib_name| {
                 // Assume ld64 default: -search_paths_first
                 // Look in each directory for a dylib (stub first), and then for archive
@@ -752,7 +754,6 @@ pub fn flushModule(self: *MachO, comp: *Compilation) !void {
                 }
             }
 
-            var framework_not_found = false;
             for (self.base.options.frameworks) |framework| {
                 for (&[_][]const u8{ ".tbd", ".dylib", "" }) |ext| {
                     if (try resolveFramework(arena, framework_dirs.items, framework, ext)) |full_path| {
@@ -928,6 +929,12 @@ pub fn flushModule(self: *MachO, comp: *Compilation) !void {
         if (self.unresolved.count() > 0) {
             return error.UndefinedSymbolReference;
         }
+        if (lib_not_found) {
+            return error.LibraryNotFound;
+        }
+        if (framework_not_found) {
+            return error.FrameworkNotFound;
+        }
 
         try self.createTentativeDefAtoms();
         try self.parseObjectsIntoAtoms();