diff --git a/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh b/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh
index d6d3b6f7c2a..c0f279b83d3 100755
--- a/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh
+++ b/hack/make-rules/test-cmd-util.sh
@@ -694,6 +694,10 @@ run_pod_tests() {
   ## Patch can modify a local object
   kubectl patch --local -f pkg/kubectl/validation/testdata/v1/validPod.yaml --patch='{"spec": {"restartPolicy":"Never"}}' -o jsonpath='{.spec.restartPolicy}' | grep -q "Never"
 
+  ## Patch fails with error message "not patched" and exit code 1
+  output_message=$(! kubectl patch "${kube_flags[@]}" pod valid-pod -p='{"spec":{"replicas":7}}' 2>&1)
+  kube::test::if_has_string "${output_message}" 'not patched'
+
   ## Patch pod can change image
   # Command
   kubectl patch "${kube_flags[@]}" pod valid-pod --record -p='{"spec":{"containers":[{"name": "kubernetes-serve-hostname", "image": "nginx"}]}}'
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
index cb85111db26..87d81079e31 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -239,7 +239,8 @@ __custom_func() {
     * services (aka 'svc')
     * statefulsets
     * storageclasses
-    `
+
+`
 )
 
 var (
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch.go
index 267e0139c00..3d099ac7d42 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch.go
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ func RunPatch(f cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []strin
 
 		if !options.Local {
 			dataChangedMsg := "not patched"
+			didPatch := false
 			helper := resource.NewHelper(client, mapping)
 			patchedObj, err := helper.Patch(namespace, name, patchType, patchBytes)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -212,6 +213,7 @@ func RunPatch(f cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []strin
 				return err
 			}
 			if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldData, newData) {
+				didPatch = true
 				dataChangedMsg = "patched"
 			}
 
@@ -228,6 +230,12 @@ func RunPatch(f cmdutil.Factory, out io.Writer, cmd *cobra.Command, args []strin
 				return err
 			}
 			cmdutil.PrintSuccess(mapper, options.OutputFormat == "name", out, info.Mapping.Resource, info.Name, false, dataChangedMsg)
+
+			// if object was not successfully patched, exit with error code 1
+			if !didPatch {
+				return cmdutil.ErrExit
+			}
+
 			return nil
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go
index 7bfd7146100..c72d308eec3 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/patch_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,14 @@ func TestPatchObject(t *testing.T) {
 		Client: fake.CreateHTTPClient(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
 			case p == "/namespaces/test/services/frontend" && (m == "PATCH" || m == "GET"):
-				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Header: defaultHeader(), Body: objBody(codec, &svc.Items[0])}, nil
+				obj := svc.Items[0]
+
+				// ensure patched object reflects successful
+				// patch edits from the client
+				if m == "PATCH" {
+					obj.Spec.Type = "NodePort"
+				}
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 200, Header: defaultHeader(), Body: objBody(codec, &obj)}, nil
 			default:
 				t.Fatalf("unexpected request: %#v\n%#v", req.URL, req)
 				return nil, nil
@@ -116,18 +123,6 @@ func TestPatchNoop(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	tf.Namespace = "test"
 
-	// No-op
-	{
-		buf := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte{})
-		cmd := NewCmdPatch(f, buf)
-		cmd.Flags().Set("namespace", "test")
-		cmd.Flags().Set("patch", `{}`)
-		cmd.Run(cmd, []string{"services", "frontend"})
-		if buf.String() != "service \"baz\" not patched\n" {
-			t.Errorf("unexpected output: %s", buf.String())
-		}
-	}
-
 	// Patched
 	{
 		patchObject = patchObject.DeepCopy()