diff --git a/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user.go b/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user.go
index 3a3f5de89b..efc00e30be 100644
--- a/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user.go
+++ b/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user.go
@@ -693,6 +693,7 @@ func searchUserCmdF(c client.Client, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	users, err := getUsersFromArgs(c, args)
 	if err != nil {
 		printer.PrintError(err.Error())
+		return err
 	}
 
 	for i, user := range users {
diff --git a/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_e2e_test.go b/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_e2e_test.go
index 6d0fb28c3d..ec0fe7e8ae 100644
--- a/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_e2e_test.go
+++ b/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_e2e_test.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func (s *MmctlE2ETestSuite) TestSearchUserCmd() {
 		emailArg := "nonexistentUser@example.com"
 
 		err := searchUserCmdF(c, &cobra.Command{}, []string{emailArg})
-		s.Require().Nil(err)
+		s.Require().Error(err)
 		s.Len(printer.GetLines(), 0)
 		s.Len(printer.GetErrorLines(), 1)
 		s.Equal(fmt.Sprintf("1 error occurred:\n\t* user %s not found\n\n", emailArg), printer.GetErrorLines()[0])
diff --git a/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_test.go b/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_test.go
index 37e789b970..2ac0337d06 100644
--- a/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_test.go
+++ b/server/cmd/mmctl/commands/user_test.go
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ func (s *MmctlUnitTestSuite) TestSearchUserCmd() {
 			Times(1)
 
 		err := searchUserCmdF(s.client, &cobra.Command{}, []string{arg})
-		s.Require().Nil(err)
+		s.Require().NotNil(err)
 		s.Require().Len(printer.GetLines(), 0)
 		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* user example@example.com not found\n\n", printer.GetErrorLines()[0])
 	})
@@ -625,9 +625,78 @@ func (s *MmctlUnitTestSuite) TestSearchUserCmd() {
 		arg := "test/../hello?@mattermost.com"
 
 		err := searchUserCmdF(s.client, &cobra.Command{}, []string{arg})
-		s.Require().Nil(err)
+		s.Require().NotNil(err)
 		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* user test/../hello?@mattermost.com not found\n\n", printer.GetErrorLines()[0])
 	})
+
+	s.Run("Error while getting user by email", func() {
+		printer.Clean()
+		emailArg := "example@mailexample.com"
+
+		s.client.
+			EXPECT().
+			GetUserByEmail(context.Background(), emailArg, "").
+			Return(nil, &model.Response{}, errors.New("Error while getting user by email")).
+			Times(1)
+
+		err := searchUserCmdF(s.client, &cobra.Command{}, []string{emailArg})
+		s.Require().NotNil(err)
+		s.Require().Len(printer.GetLines(), 0)
+		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* Error while getting user by email\n\n", err.Error())
+		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* Error while getting user by email\n\n", printer.GetErrorLines()[0])
+	})
+
+	s.Run("Error while getting user by username", func() {
+		printer.Clean()
+		usernameArg := "exampleUser"
+
+		s.client.
+			EXPECT().
+			GetUserByEmail(context.Background(), usernameArg, "").
+			Return(nil, &model.Response{}, nil).
+			Times(1)
+
+		s.client.
+			EXPECT().
+			GetUserByUsername(context.Background(), usernameArg, "").
+			Return(nil, &model.Response{}, errors.New("Error while getting user by username")).
+			Times(1)
+
+		err := searchUserCmdF(s.client, &cobra.Command{}, []string{usernameArg})
+		s.Require().NotNil(err)
+		s.Require().Len(printer.GetLines(), 0)
+		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* Error while getting user by username\n\n", err.Error())
+		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* Error while getting user by username\n\n", printer.GetErrorLines()[0])
+	})
+
+	s.Run("Error while getting user", func() {
+		printer.Clean()
+		userArg := "exampleUser"
+
+		s.client.
+			EXPECT().
+			GetUserByEmail(context.Background(), userArg, "").
+			Return(nil, &model.Response{}, nil).
+			Times(1)
+
+		s.client.
+			EXPECT().
+			GetUserByUsername(context.Background(), userArg, "").
+			Return(nil, &model.Response{}, nil).
+			Times(1)
+
+		s.client.
+			EXPECT().
+			GetUser(context.Background(), userArg, "").
+			Return(nil, &model.Response{}, errors.New("Error while getting user")).
+			Times(1)
+
+		err := searchUserCmdF(s.client, &cobra.Command{}, []string{userArg})
+		s.Require().NotNil(err)
+		s.Require().Len(printer.GetLines(), 0)
+		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* Error while getting user\n\n", err.Error())
+		s.Require().Equal("1 error occurred:\n\t* Error while getting user\n\n", printer.GetErrorLines()[0])
+	})
 }
 
 func (s *MmctlUnitTestSuite) TestChangePasswordUserCmdF() {