diff --git a/lib/gitWorkflow.js b/lib/gitWorkflow.js
index 921597161..b3a13d86a 100644
--- a/lib/gitWorkflow.js
+++ b/lib/gitWorkflow.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ class GitWorkflow {
   async getBackupStash() {
     const stashes = await this.execGit(['stash', 'list'])
     const index = stashes.split('\n').findIndex(line => line.includes(STASH))
+    if (index === -1) throw new Error('lint-staged automatic backup is missing!')
     return `stash@{${index}}`
   }
 
@@ -208,11 +209,15 @@ class GitWorkflow {
   /**
    * Drop the created stashes after everything has run
    */
-  async dropBackup() {
-    debug('Dropping backup stash...')
-    const backupStash = await this.getBackupStash()
-    await this.execGit(['stash', 'drop', '--quiet', backupStash])
-    debug('Done dropping backup stash!')
+  async dropBackup(ctx) {
+    try {
+      debug('Dropping backup stash...')
+      const backupStash = await this.getBackupStash()
+      await this.execGit(['stash', 'drop', '--quiet', backupStash])
+      debug('Done dropping backup stash!')
+    } catch (error) {
+      handleGitLockError(error, ctx)
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/runAll.js b/lib/runAll.js
index e4b3ba4a8..8b930174f 100644
--- a/lib/runAll.js
+++ b/lib/runAll.js
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ module.exports = async function runAll(
       {
         title: 'Cleaning up...',
         skip: ctx => ctx.hasGitLockError && 'Skipped because of previous git error',
-        task: () => git.dropBackup()
+        task: ctx => git.dropBackup(ctx)
       }
     ],
     listrOptions
diff --git a/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js b/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js
index 70026fe73..bb37f12dd 100644
--- a/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js
+++ b/test/runAll.unmocked.spec.js
@@ -646,4 +646,36 @@ describe('runAll', () => {
     expect(await readFile('test.js')).toEqual(testJsFilePretty)
     expect(await readFile('test2.js')).toEqual(testJsFilePretty)
   })
+
+  it('should fail when backup stash is missing', async () => {
+    await appendFile('test.js', testJsFilePretty)
+    await execGit(['add', 'test.js'])
+
+    // Remove backup stash during run
+    await expect(
+      gitCommit({
+        config: { '*.js': () => 'git stash drop' },
+        shell: true,
+        debug: true,
+        quiet: false
+      })
+    ).rejects.toThrowError()
+
+    expect(console.printHistory()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      "
+      LOG Preparing... [started]
+      LOG Preparing... [completed]
+      LOG Running tasks... [started]
+      LOG Running tasks for *.js [started]
+      LOG git stash drop [started]
+      LOG git stash drop [completed]
+      LOG Running tasks for *.js [completed]
+      LOG Running tasks... [completed]
+      LOG Applying modifications... [started]
+      LOG Applying modifications... [completed]
+      LOG Cleaning up... [started]
+      LOG Cleaning up... [failed]
+      LOG → lint-staged automatic backup is missing!"
+    `)
+  })
 })