diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/issue-5050 b/changelog/unreleased/issue-5050
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9604fc857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/issue-5050
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Bugfix: Missing error if `tag` fails to lock repository
+
+Since restic 0.17.0, the `tag` command did not return an error if it failed to
+open or lock the repository. This has been fixed.
+
+https://github.com/restic/restic/issues/5050
+https://github.com/restic/restic/pull/5056
diff --git a/cmd/restic/cmd_tag.go b/cmd/restic/cmd_tag.go
index c7bf725e9..8a2a83678 100644
--- a/cmd/restic/cmd_tag.go
+++ b/cmd/restic/cmd_tag.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func runTag(ctx context.Context, opts TagOptions, gopts GlobalOptions, args []st
 	Verbosef("create exclusive lock for repository\n")
 	ctx, repo, unlock, err := openWithExclusiveLock(ctx, gopts, false)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil
+		return err
 	}
 	defer unlock()