diff --git a/bin/cuda_memtest.sh b/bin/cuda_memtest.sh
index c941df98c3..3aa91af42b 100755
--- a/bin/cuda_memtest.sh
+++ b/bin/cuda_memtest.sh
@@ -39,8 +39,15 @@ output=`cuda_memtest --disable_all --device $host_rank $enable_gpu_tests --num_p
 
 if [ $? -ne 0 ] ; then
    host_name=`hostname`
-   echo -e "$output" > $old_path/cuda_memtest_"$host_name"_"$host_rank".err
-   echo cuda_memtest crash: see file $old_path/cuda_memtest_"$host_name"_"$host_rank".err >&2
-   exit 1
+   if [ ! -d "$old_path" ]; then
+       echo "Error: $0 did not find directory: $old_path (on host: $host_name with rank: $host_rank)" >&2
+       echo "error message of memtest is:" >&2
+       echo -e "$output" >&2
+      exit 2
+   else
+      echo -e "$output" > $old_path/cuda_memtest_"$host_name"_"$host_rank".err
+      echo cuda_memtest crash: see file $old_path/cuda_memtest_"$host_name"_"$host_rank".err >&2
+      exit 1
+   fi
 fi
 exit 0