diff --git a/pkg/virtctl/console/console.go b/pkg/virtctl/console/console.go
index c1c2a747e06e..010c7f9df205 100644
--- a/pkg/virtctl/console/console.go
+++ b/pkg/virtctl/console/console.go
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ func (c *Console) Run(flags *flag.FlagSet) int {
 
 	resChan := make(chan error)
 	stopChan := make(chan struct{}, 1)
-	writeStop := make(chan struct{})
-	readStop := make(chan struct{})
+	writeStop := make(chan error)
+	readStop := make(chan error)
 
 	go func() {
 		err := virtCli.VM(namespace).SerialConsole(vm, device, stdinReader, stdoutWriter)
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ func (c *Console) Run(flags *flag.FlagSet) int {
 	}()
 
 	go func() {
-		defer close(readStop)
-		io.Copy(out, stdoutReader)
+		_, err := io.Copy(out, stdoutReader)
+		readStop <- err
 	}()
 
 	go func() {
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ func (c *Console) Run(flags *flag.FlagSet) int {
 			// reading from stdin
 			n, err := in.Read(buf)
 			if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
+				writeStop <- err
 				return
 			}
 			if n == 0 && err == io.EOF {
@@ -139,8 +140,8 @@ func (c *Console) Run(flags *flag.FlagSet) int {
 
 	select {
 	case <-stopChan:
-	case <-readStop:
-	case <-writeStop:
+	case err = <-readStop:
+	case err = <-writeStop:
 	case err = <-resChan:
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/virtctl/vnc/vnc.go b/pkg/virtctl/vnc/vnc.go
index 634f5adef81e..5e8b00a41c50 100644
--- a/pkg/virtctl/vnc/vnc.go
+++ b/pkg/virtctl/vnc/vnc.go
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ func (o *VNC) Run(flags *flag.FlagSet) int {
 	k8ResChan := make(chan error)
 	viewResChan := make(chan error)
 	stopChan := make(chan struct{}, 1)
-	writeStop := make(chan struct{})
-	readStop := make(chan struct{})
+	writeStop := make(chan error)
+	readStop := make(chan error)
 
 	// The local tcp server is used to proxy the podExec websock connection to remote-viewer
 	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", "127.0.0.1:0")
@@ -113,20 +113,20 @@ func (o *VNC) Run(flags *flag.FlagSet) int {
 
 	// write to FD <- pipeOutReader
 	go func() {
-		defer close(readStop)
-		io.Copy(fd, pipeOutReader)
+		_, err := io.Copy(fd, pipeOutReader)
+		readStop <- err
 	}()
 
 	// read from FD -> pipeInWriter
 	go func() {
-		defer close(writeStop)
-		io.Copy(pipeInWriter, fd)
+		_, err := io.Copy(pipeInWriter, fd)
+		writeStop <- err
 	}()
 
 	select {
 	case <-stopChan:
-	case <-readStop:
-	case <-writeStop:
+	case err = <-readStop:
+	case err = <-writeStop:
 	case err = <-k8ResChan:
 	case err = <-viewResChan:
 	}