diff --git a/crates/linux/process-backend/src/lib.rs b/crates/linux/process-backend/src/lib.rs
index af5aeea6..153e9380 100644
--- a/crates/linux/process-backend/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/linux/process-backend/src/lib.rs
@@ -101,4 +101,6 @@ pub enum Error {
     Transport(#[source] remote::transport::BackendError),
     #[error("buffer was too small to contain the result")]
     BufferTooSmall,
+    #[error("the remote executor is unusable after a previous error")]
+    TransportPoisoned,
 }
diff --git a/crates/linux/process-backend/src/remote/backend.rs b/crates/linux/process-backend/src/remote/backend.rs
index f42e36c6..b153dc5b 100644
--- a/crates/linux/process-backend/src/remote/backend.rs
+++ b/crates/linux/process-backend/src/remote/backend.rs
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ enum TransportState<T> {
 }
 
 impl<T> TransportState<T> {
-    fn expect_ready(&mut self) -> &mut T {
+    fn ready(&mut self) -> Result<&mut T> {
         match self {
-            TransportState::Ready(transport) => transport,
-            TransportState::Poisoned => panic!("attempted to use poisoned transport"),
+            TransportState::Ready(transport) => Ok(transport),
+            TransportState::Poisoned => Err(Error::TransportPoisoned),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ impl<T: transport::Backend> Backend<T> {
         F: for<'output> FnOnce(Op::Output<'output>) -> Result<U>,
     {
         let mut transport_state = self.transport_state.borrow_mut();
-        let transport = transport_state.expect_ready();
+        let transport = transport_state.ready()?;
 
         let e = match Op::request(transport, args) {
             Ok(response) => {
diff --git a/crates/linux/process-backend/tests/basic.rs b/crates/linux/process-backend/tests/basic.rs
index b135d984..2bcd12f6 100644
--- a/crates/linux/process-backend/tests/basic.rs
+++ b/crates/linux/process-backend/tests/basic.rs
@@ -97,3 +97,22 @@ fn basic() {
 
     executor_thread.join().unwrap().unwrap();
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn poisoned_transport_returns_error() {
+    let (backend_io, executor_io) = UnixStream::pair().unwrap();
+    // Forcefully break the connection
+    drop(executor_io);
+
+    let output_buf = vec![0u8; MAX_OUTPUT_LEN];
+    let backend = Backend::new(transport::postcard::Backend::new(backend_io, output_buf));
+
+    assert!(matches!(
+        backend.stat_file(c"/"),
+        Err(process_backend::Error::Transport(_))
+    ));
+    assert!(matches!(
+        backend.stat_file(c"/"),
+        Err(process_backend::Error::TransportPoisoned)
+    ));
+}