diff --git a/bjam b/bjam
index eda8970dc..2b0232c8a 100755
--- a/bjam
+++ b/bjam
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ if
   bjam="$(which bjam 2>/dev/null)" && #exists
   [ ${#bjam} != 0 ] && #paranoia about which printing nothing then returning true
   ! grep UFIHGUFIHBDJKNCFZXAEVA "${bjam}" </dev/null >/dev/null && #bjam in path isn't this script
-  "${bjam}" --sanity-test 2>/dev/null |grep Sane >/dev/null #The test in jam-files/sanity.jam passes
+  "${bjam}" --sanity-test 2>/dev/null |grep Sane >/dev/null && #The test in jam-files/sanity.jam passes
+  (cd jam-files/fail && ! "${bjam}") >/dev/null #Returns non-zero on failure
 then
   #Delegate to system bjam
   exec "${bjam}" "$@"
diff --git a/jam-files/fail/Jamroot b/jam-files/fail/Jamroot
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c3584d896
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jam-files/fail/Jamroot
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+actions fail {
+  false
+}
+make fail : : fail ;