diff --git a/command/fs_cat.go b/command/fs_cat.go
index 974e2d5e3..9a7616ab0 100644
--- a/command/fs_cat.go
+++ b/command/fs_cat.go
@@ -114,6 +114,13 @@ func (f *FSCatCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if alloc.DesiredStatus == "failed" {
+		allocID := limit(alloc.ID, length)
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf(`The allocation %q failed to be placed. To see the cause, run: 
+nomad alloc-status %s`, allocID, allocID)
+		f.Ui.Error(msg)
+		return 0
+	}
 	// Stat the file to find it's size
 	file, _, err := client.AllocFS().Stat(alloc, path, nil)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/command/fs_ls.go b/command/fs_ls.go
index 65766bff1..9329f1dd2 100644
--- a/command/fs_ls.go
+++ b/command/fs_ls.go
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ func (f *FSListCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if alloc.DesiredStatus == "failed" {
+		allocID := limit(alloc.ID, length)
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf(`The allocation %q failed to be placed. To see the cause, run: 
+nomad alloc-status %s`, allocID, allocID)
+		f.Ui.Error(msg)
+		return 0
+	}
 	// Get the file at the given path
 	files, _, err := client.AllocFS().List(alloc, path, nil)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/command/fs_stat.go b/command/fs_stat.go
index 581f27246..9c163f803 100644
--- a/command/fs_stat.go
+++ b/command/fs_stat.go
@@ -119,6 +119,13 @@ func (f *FSStatCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if alloc.DesiredStatus == "failed" {
+		allocID := limit(alloc.ID, length)
+		msg := fmt.Sprintf(`The allocation %q failed to be placed. To see the cause, run: 
+nomad alloc-status %s`, allocID, allocID)
+		f.Ui.Error(msg)
+		return 0
+	}
 	// Get the file information
 	file, _, err := client.AllocFS().Stat(alloc, path, nil)
 	if err != nil {