diff --git a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py
index 3553983..3c1f6e3 100644
--- a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py
+++ b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/__init__.py
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ class Packer:
         self.relative_only = relative_only
         self._aborted = threading.Event()
         self._abort_lock = threading.RLock()
+        self._abort_reason = ''
 
         # Set this to a custom Callback() subclass instance before calling
         # strategise() to receive progress reports.
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ class Packer:
         self._progress_cb = new_progress_cb
         self._tscb = progress.ThreadSafeCallback(self._progress_cb)
 
-    def abort(self) -> None:
+    def abort(self, reason='') -> None:
         """Aborts the current packing process.
 
         Can be called from any thread. Aborts as soon as the running strategise
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ class Packer:
         an Aborted exception.
         """
         with self._abort_lock:
+            self._abort_reason = reason
             if self._file_transferer:
                 self._file_transferer.abort()
             self._aborted.set()
@@ -192,7 +194,7 @@ class Packer:
         """Raises an Aborted exception when abort() was called."""
 
         with self._abort_lock:
-            reason = ''
+            reason = self._abort_reason
             if self._file_transferer is not None and self._file_transferer.has_error:
                 log.error('A transfer error occurred')
                 reason = self._file_transferer.error_message()
@@ -201,7 +203,7 @@ class Packer:
 
             log.warning('Aborting')
             self._tscb.flush()
-            self._progress_cb.pack_aborted()
+            self._progress_cb.pack_aborted(reason)
             raise Aborted(reason)
 
     def exclude(self, *globs: str):
diff --git a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/progress.py b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/progress.py
index 51edd47..4b5e02e 100644
--- a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/progress.py
+++ b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/progress.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class Callback(blender_asset_tracer.trace.progress.Callback):
                   missing_files: typing.Set[pathlib.Path]) -> None:
         """Called when packing is done."""
 
-    def pack_aborted(self):
+    def pack_aborted(self, reason: str):
         """Called when packing was aborted."""
 
     def trace_blendfile(self, filename: pathlib.Path) -> None:
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ class ThreadSafeCallback(Callback):
                   missing_files: typing.Set[pathlib.Path]) -> None:
         self._queue(self.wrapped.pack_done, output_blendfile, missing_files)
 
+    def pack_aborted(self, reason: str):
+        self._queue(self.wrapped.pack_aborted, reason)
+
     def trace_blendfile(self, filename: pathlib.Path) -> None:
         self._queue(self.wrapped.trace_blendfile, filename)
 
diff --git a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/shaman/__init__.py b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/shaman/__init__.py
index 3d4e491..8ad4dea 100644
--- a/blender_asset_tracer/pack/shaman/__init__.py
+++ b/blender_asset_tracer/pack/shaman/__init__.py
@@ -85,3 +85,11 @@ class ShamanPacker(bat_pack.Packer):
         checkout_location = pathlib.PurePosixPath(self._checkout_location)
         rel_output = self._output_path.relative_to(self._target_path)
         return checkout_location / rel_output
+
+    def execute(self):
+        try:
+            super().execute()
+        except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError as ex:
+            log.exception('Error communicating with Shaman')
+            self.abort(str(ex))
+            self._check_aborted()