diff --git a/plugins/inputs/zfs/zfs_freebsd.go b/plugins/inputs/zfs/zfs_freebsd.go
index 24f6a50997612..e493e3fc9a0bb 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/zfs/zfs_freebsd.go
+++ b/plugins/inputs/zfs/zfs_freebsd.go
@@ -174,8 +174,11 @@ func run(command string, args ...string) ([]string, error) {
 	stdout := strings.TrimSpace(outbuf.String())
 	stderr := strings.TrimSpace(errbuf.String())
 
-	if _, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s error: %s", command, stderr)
+	if err != nil {
+		if _, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s error: %s", command, stderr)
+		}
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s error: %s", command, err)
 	}
 	return strings.Split(stdout, "\n"), nil
 }