diff --git a/src/clone.c b/src/clone.c
index e19d02ba2..62f103561 100644
--- a/src/clone.c
+++ b/src/clone.c
@@ -430,10 +430,15 @@ int git_clone(
 	}
 
 	if (error != 0) {
+		git_error_state last_error = {0};
+		giterr_capture(&last_error, error);
+
 		git_repository_free(repo);
 		repo = NULL;
 
 		(void)git_futils_rmdir_r(local_path, NULL, rmdir_flags);
+
+		giterr_restore(&last_error);
 	}
 
 	*out = repo;
diff --git a/tests/core/errors.c b/tests/core/errors.c
index 512a4134d..366d8f16a 100644
--- a/tests/core/errors.c
+++ b/tests/core/errors.c
@@ -85,3 +85,27 @@ void test_core_errors__new_school(void)
 
 	giterr_clear();
 }
+
+void test_core_errors__restore(void)
+{
+	git_error_state err_state = {0};
+
+	giterr_clear();
+	cl_assert(giterr_last() == NULL);
+
+	cl_assert_equal_i(0, giterr_capture(&err_state, 0));
+
+	memset(&err_state, 0x0, sizeof(git_error_state));
+
+	giterr_set(42, "Foo: %s", "bar");
+	cl_assert_equal_i(-1, giterr_capture(&err_state, -1));
+
+	cl_assert(giterr_last() == NULL);
+
+	giterr_set(99, "Bar: %s", "foo");
+
+	giterr_restore(&err_state);
+
+	cl_assert_equal_i(42, giterr_last()->klass);
+	cl_assert_equal_s("Foo: bar", giterr_last()->message);
+}