diff --git a/tools/catalog.js b/tools/catalog.js
index 78a516f76c..bab3133b55 100644
--- a/tools/catalog.js
+++ b/tools/catalog.js
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ var config = require('./config.js');
 var packageClient = require('./package-client.js');
 var Console = require('./console.js').Console;
 
+// XXX: Circular?
+var main = require("./main.js");
+
 var catalog = exports;
 
 catalog.refreshFailed = undefined;
@@ -30,7 +33,14 @@ catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart = function (options) {
 
 catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart.prototype.beforeCommand = function () {
   var self = this;
-  catalog.refreshOrWarn(self.options);
+  if (!catalog.refreshOrWarn(self.options)) {
+    if (self.options.ignoreFailure) {
+      Console.debug("Failed to update package catalog, but will continue.");
+    } else {
+      Console.error("This command requires an up-to-date package catalog.  Exiting.");
+      throw main.ExitWithCode(1);
+    }
+  }
 };
 
 // Refresh strategy: never (we don't use the package catalog)
diff --git a/tools/commands-packages.js b/tools/commands-packages.js
index aacbd21ed9..c2343d9a07 100644
--- a/tools/commands-packages.js
+++ b/tools/commands-packages.js
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ var formatArchitecture = function (s) {
 // necessary!
 main.registerCommand({
   name: '--get-ready',
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
   // It is not strictly needed, but it is thematically a good idea to refresh
   // the official catalog when we call get-ready, since it is an
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     'top-level': { type: Boolean }
   },
   requiresPackage: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
   if (options.create && options['existing-version']) {
     // Make up your mind!
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   name: 'publish-for-arch',
   minArgs: 1,
   maxArgs: 1,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
   // argument processing
   var all = options.args[0].split('@');
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     'create-track': { type: Boolean, required: false },
     'from-checkout': { type: Boolean, required: false }
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
   // Refresh the catalog, cacheing the remote package data on the server.
   //Console.info("Resyncing with package server...");
@@ -1130,7 +1130,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   options: {
     "show-old": {type: Boolean, required: false }
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ maxAge: DEFAULT_MAX_AGE })
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ maxAge: DEFAULT_MAX_AGE, ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   // We should refresh the catalog in case there are new versions.
   //refreshOfficialCatalogOrDie({ maxAge: DEFAULT_MAX_AGE });
@@ -1290,7 +1290,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
 main.registerCommand({
   name: 'refresh',
   pretty: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
   //refreshOfficialCatalogOrDie();
 });
@@ -1307,7 +1307,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     // Undocumented debug-only option for Velocity.
     "debug-only": {type: Boolean, required: false}
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ maxAge: DEFAULT_MAX_AGE })
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ maxAge: DEFAULT_MAX_AGE, ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   if (options.args.length === 0) {
     Console.info("To show all packages, do", Console.command("meteor search ."));
@@ -1454,7 +1454,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   requiresApp: true,
   options: {
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   var items = [];
 
@@ -1850,7 +1850,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   requiresRelease: false,
   minArgs: 0,
   maxArgs: Infinity,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   // Refresh the catalog, cacheing the remote package data on the server.
   // XXX should be able to update even without a refresh, esp to a specific
@@ -1992,7 +1992,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   maxArgs: Infinity,
   requiresApp: true,
   pretty: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
 
   // Special case on reserved package namespaces, such as 'cordova'
@@ -2067,6 +2067,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   });
   if (messages.hasMessages()) {
     Console.printMessages(messages);
+    explainIfRefreshFailed();
     return 1;
   }
 
@@ -2162,6 +2163,8 @@ main.registerCommand({
   // different result than what they are going to get. We have already logged an
   // error, so we should exit.
   if ( failed ) {
+    explainIfRefreshFailed();
+
     return 1;
   }
 
@@ -2183,6 +2186,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
       if ( ! newVersions) {
         // XXX: Better error handling.
         Console.error("Cannot resolve package dependencies.");
+        explainIfRefreshFailed();
         return;
       }
 
@@ -2203,10 +2207,12 @@ main.registerCommand({
     Console.error(
       "Could not satisfy all the specified constraints:\n"
         + e + "");
+    explainIfRefreshFailed();
     return 1;
   }
   if (messages.hasMessages()) {
     Console.printMessages(messages);
+    explainIfRefreshFailed();
     return 1;
   }
 
@@ -2240,7 +2246,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   minArgs: 1,
   maxArgs: Infinity,
   requiresApp: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   // Special case on reserved package namespaces, such as 'cordova'
   var filteredPackages = cordova.filterPackages(options.args);
@@ -2336,7 +2342,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     remove: { type: String, short: "r" },
     list: { type: Boolean }
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
 
   // We want the most recent information.
@@ -2431,7 +2437,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   // In this function, we want to use the official catalog everywhere, because
   // we assume that all packages have been published (along with the release
   // obviously) and we want to be sure to only bundle the published versions.
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
   var releaseNameAndVersion = options.args[0];
   var outputDirectory = options.args[1];
@@ -2603,7 +2609,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   minArgs: 1,
   maxArgs: 1,
   hidden: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
   var bannersFile = options.args[0];
   try {
@@ -2651,7 +2657,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   options: {
     unrecommend: { type: Boolean, short: "u" }
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
 
   // We want the most recent information.
@@ -2705,7 +2711,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   name: 'admin set-earliest-compatible-version',
   minArgs: 2,
   maxArgs: 2,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
 
   // We want the most recent information.
@@ -2756,7 +2762,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   name: 'admin change-homepage',
   minArgs: 2,
   maxArgs: 2,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
 
   // We want the most recent information.
@@ -2803,7 +2809,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     "success" : {type: Boolean, required: false}
   },
   hidden: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
 
   // We don't care about having the most recent information, but we do want the
@@ -2861,7 +2867,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     "tag" : {type: String, required: false}
   },
   hidden: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: false })
 }, function (options) {
 
   if (options.commit && options.tag)
diff --git a/tools/commands.js b/tools/commands.js
index 0f91116b67..13c96b15b1 100644
--- a/tools/commands.js
+++ b/tools/commands.js
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ var runCommandOptions = {
     // and does not monitor for file changes. Not for end-user use.
     clean: { type: Boolean}
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 };
 
 main.registerCommand(_.extend(
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     package: { type: Boolean }
   },
   pretty: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
 
   // Creating a package is much easier than creating an app, so if that's what
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ var buildCommands = {
     "mobile-port": { type: String },
     verbose: { type: Boolean, short: "v" }
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 };
 
 main.registerCommand(_.extend({ name: 'build' }, buildCommands),
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   requiresApp: function (options) {
     return options.delete || options.star ? false : true;
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   var site = qualifySitename(options.args[0]);
   config.printUniverseBanner();
@@ -1249,7 +1249,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
     android: { type: Boolean },
     'android-device': { type: Boolean }
   },
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   try {
     var parsedUrl = utils.parseUrl(options.port);
@@ -1567,7 +1567,7 @@ main.registerCommand({
   name: 'rebuild',
   maxArgs: Infinity,
   hidden: true,
-  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart()
+  catalogRefresh: new catalog.Refresh.OnceAtStart({ ignoreErrors: true })
 }, function (options) {
   var messages;
   var count = 0;
diff --git a/tools/main.js b/tools/main.js
index c196a28384..6ba561b355 100644
--- a/tools/main.js
+++ b/tools/main.js
@@ -1304,14 +1304,9 @@ commandName + ": You're not in a Meteor project directory.\n" +
     // Before run, do a package sync if one is configured
     var catalogRefreshStrategy = command.catalogRefresh;
     if (!alreadyRefreshed && catalogRefreshStrategy.beforeCommand) {
-      // XXX This buildmessage.capture only exists for showing progress.
-      var messages = buildmessage.capture({title: 'Updating package catalog'}, function () {
+      buildmessage.enterJob({title: 'Updating package catalog'}, function () {
         catalogRefreshStrategy.beforeCommand();
       });
-      if (messages.hasMessages()) {
-        Console.printMessages(messages);
-        throw main.ExitWithCode(1);
-      }
     }
 
     var ret = command.func(options);