diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 49b47ad..67800b8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ This action is a recommended deployment option. You can also use [our public Git
 - `path`: Output path for the SVG file. Defaults to `profile/<card>.svg`.
 - `token`: GitHub token (PAT or `GITHUB_TOKEN`). For private repo stats, use a [PAT](https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/keeping-your-account-and-data-secure/managing-your-personal-access-tokens) with `repo` and `read:user` scopes. For any gist, use a PAT with `gist` scope.
 - `core_version`: Version of [GitHub Stats Extended](https://github.com/stats-organization/github-stats-extended) to use internally. When omitted, the action uses the latest 2.x.x version.
+- `fail_on_error`: Fail the action when data fetching fails (e.g. a GitHub API rate limit) instead of writing the "Something went wrong" error card.\
+  Defaults to `false` for backwards compatibility.
 
 ## Outputs
 
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index ad7ef5c..0c1db12 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ inputs:
     description: Version of @stats-organization/github-readme-stats-core to use internally.
     required: false
     default: "v2"
+  fail_on_error:
+    description: >-
+      Fail the action when the card renderer reports a data-fetch error (e.g. a
+      GitHub API rate limit) instead of writing the "Something went wrong" error
+      card. Defaults to "false" to preserve backwards-compatible behaviour; set
+      to "true" to fail the action on a broken card.
+    required: false
+    default: "false"
 outputs:
   path:
     description: Path where the SVG file was written.
@@ -59,6 +67,7 @@ runs:
         INPUT_OPTIONS: ${{ inputs.options }}
         INPUT_PATH: ${{ inputs.path }}
         INPUT_CORE_VERSION: ${{ inputs.core_version }}
+        INPUT_FAIL_ON_ERROR: ${{ inputs.fail_on_error }}
         PAT_1: ${{ inputs.token || github.token }}
 branding:
   icon: bar-chart-2
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 50468a1..0f62e23 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -181,9 +181,10 @@ const validateCardOptions = (card, query, repoOwner) => {
 
 const run = async () => {
   const card = getInput("card", { required: true }).toLowerCase();
-  const optionsInput = getInput("options") || "";
+  const optionsInput = getInput("options");
   const outputPathInput = getInput("path");
-  const coreVersion = validateCoreVersion(getInput("core_version") || "");
+  const coreVersion = validateCoreVersion(getInput("core_version"));
+  const failOnError = /^(true|1|yes)$/i.test(getInput("fail_on_error"));
 
   const coreModule = await loadCoreModule(coreVersion);
 
@@ -201,13 +202,25 @@ const run = async () => {
   const outputPathValue =
     outputPathInput || path.join("profile", `${card}.svg`);
   const outputPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), outputPathValue);
-  await mkdir(path.dirname(outputPath), { recursive: true });
 
-  const svg = (await handler(query))?.content;
+  const result = await handler(query);
+  const svg = result?.content;
+
+  // The core renderer never throws on a data-fetch error; it returns a `status`
+  // starting with "error" and a "Something went wrong" SVG. When fail_on_error
+  // is enabled, fail the action so the broken card is never written or committed.
+  // Older core versions may not return a `status`, so this is a no-op for them.
+  if (failOnError && String(result?.status).startsWith("error")) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Card generation failed while fetching data (${result.status}).`,
+    );
+  }
+
   if (!svg) {
     throw new Error("Card renderer returned empty output.");
   }
 
+  await mkdir(path.dirname(outputPath), { recursive: true });
   await writeFile(outputPath, svg, "utf8");
   info(`Wrote ${outputPath}`);
   setOutput("path", outputPathValue);
diff --git a/tests/e2e.test.js b/tests/e2e.test.js
index 126f4c6..731edff 100644
--- a/tests/e2e.test.js
+++ b/tests/e2e.test.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const rootDir = path.resolve(
 const repoOwner = process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY_OWNER ?? "rickstaa";
 let buildDir;
 
-const runCard = (card, options, output, coreVersion) =>
+const runCard = (card, options, output, coreVersion, extraEnv = {}) =>
   new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const child = spawn(process.execPath, [path.join(rootDir, "index.js")], {
       stdio: "inherit",
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const runCard = (card, options, output, coreVersion) =>
         INPUT_OPTIONS: options,
         INPUT_PATH: output,
         INPUT_CORE_VERSION: coreVersion,
+        ...extraEnv,
       },
     });
 
@@ -87,6 +88,39 @@ describe.concurrent("generate cards locally", () => {
     await assertSvg(wakatimePath);
   });
 
+  test("fails when fail_on_error is enabled and the renderer reports an error", async () => {
+    // An invalid locale makes the core renderer return an "error - permanent"
+    // result offline (no network), which the action must surface as a failure
+    // when fail_on_error is opted into.
+    const errorPath = path.join(buildDir, "error-fails.svg");
+
+    await expect(
+      runCard(
+        "stats",
+        `username=${repoOwner}&locale=zzinvalid`,
+        errorPath,
+        "",
+        {
+          INPUT_FAIL_ON_ERROR: "true",
+        },
+      ),
+    ).rejects.toThrow();
+
+    // The error card must not be written when the action fails.
+    await expect(readFile(errorPath, "utf8")).rejects.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  test("writes the error card by default (fail_on_error off)", async () => {
+    // Default behaviour: the action writes the error card and succeeds.
+    const errorPath = path.join(buildDir, "error-allowed.svg");
+
+    await runCard("stats", `username=${repoOwner}&locale=zzinvalid`, errorPath);
+
+    const data = await readFile(errorPath, "utf8");
+    expect(data).toContain("<svg");
+    expect(data).toContain("Something went wrong");
+  });
+
   test("rejects invalid core_version input before install", async () => {
     const invalidVersionPath = path.join(buildDir, "invalid-version.svg");