diff --git a/compiler/rustc_incremental/src/persist/file_format.rs b/compiler/rustc_incremental/src/persist/file_format.rs
index e68195acee097..3a730e6588765 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_incremental/src/persist/file_format.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_incremental/src/persist/file_format.rs
@@ -56,16 +56,14 @@ where
         }
         Err(err) if err.kind() == io::ErrorKind::NotFound => (),
         Err(err) => {
-            sess.dcx().emit_err(errors::DeleteOld { name, path: path_buf, err });
-            return;
+            sess.dcx().emit_fatal(errors::DeleteOld { name, path: path_buf, err });
         }
     }
 
     let mut encoder = match FileEncoder::new(&path_buf) {
         Ok(encoder) => encoder,
         Err(err) => {
-            sess.dcx().emit_err(errors::CreateNew { name, path: path_buf, err });
-            return;
+            sess.dcx().emit_fatal(errors::CreateNew { name, path: path_buf, err });
         }
     };
 
@@ -81,7 +79,7 @@ where
             debug!("save: data written to disk successfully");
         }
         Err((path, err)) => {
-            sess.dcx().emit_err(errors::WriteNew { name, path, err });
+            sess.dcx().emit_fatal(errors::WriteNew { name, path, err });
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs
index 1ea3db26e212b..07bbe78dc2d45 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_interface/src/queries.rs
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ impl Compiler {
         // the global context.
         _timer = Some(self.sess.timer("free_global_ctxt"));
         if let Err((path, error)) = queries.finish() {
-            self.sess.dcx().emit_err(errors::FailedWritingFile { path: &path, error });
+            self.sess.dcx().emit_fatal(errors::FailedWritingFile { path: &path, error });
         }
 
         ret
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs
index 3e7297a74f983..9e1f6585db97b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_metadata/src/rmeta/encoder.rs
@@ -2241,12 +2241,12 @@ pub fn encode_metadata(tcx: TyCtxt<'_>, path: &Path) {
     // If we forget this, compilation can succeed with an incomplete rmeta file,
     // causing an ICE when the rmeta file is read by another compilation.
     if let Err((path, err)) = ecx.opaque.finish() {
-        tcx.dcx().emit_err(FailWriteFile { path: &path, err });
+        tcx.dcx().emit_fatal(FailWriteFile { path: &path, err });
     }
 
     let file = ecx.opaque.file();
     if let Err(err) = encode_root_position(file, root.position.get()) {
-        tcx.dcx().emit_err(FailWriteFile { path: ecx.opaque.path(), err });
+        tcx.dcx().emit_fatal(FailWriteFile { path: ecx.opaque.path(), err });
     }
 
     // Record metadata size for self-profiling