3 files changed, 20 insertions, 10 deletions
diff --git a/build2/target b/build2/target
index c196060..e7e15ab 100644
--- a/build2/target
+++ b/build2/target
@@ -500,8 +500,10 @@ namespace build2
     bool
     group_state () const;
 
+    // Raw state, normally not accessed directly.
+    //
   public:
-    target_state state_; // Raw state, normally not accessed directly.
+    target_state state_ = target_state::unknown;
 
     // Recipe.
     //
diff --git a/build2/target.cxx b/build2/target.cxx
index 668db92..81d0e4b 100644
--- a/build2/target.cxx
+++ b/build2/target.cxx
@@ -174,10 +174,11 @@ namespace build2
     // We have the spin-lock. Quickly get the matched action and unlock.
     //
     action_type ma (action);
+    bool failed (state_ == target_state::failed);
     task_count.store (e, memory_order_release);
 
-    if (ma > a)
-      return target_state::unchanged; // Overriden.
+    if (ma > a) // Overriden.
+      return failed ? target_state::failed: target_state::unchanged;
 
     // Otherwise we should have a matched target.
     //
diff --git a/build2/target.ixx b/build2/target.ixx
index 0be5aed..eb7dbaa 100644
--- a/build2/target.ixx
+++ b/build2/target.ixx
@@ -129,15 +129,22 @@ namespace build2
   {
     recipe_ = move (r);
 
-    // If this is a noop recipe, then mark the target unchanged to allow for
-    // some optimizations.
+    // Do not clear the failed target state in case of an override (and we
+    // should never see the failed state from the previous operation since we
+    // should abort the execution in this case).
     //
-    state_ = target_state::unknown;
-
-    if (recipe_function** f = recipe_.target<recipe_function*> ())
+    if (state_ != target_state::failed)
     {
-      if (*f == &noop_action)
-        state_ = target_state::unchanged;
+      // If this is a noop recipe, then mark the target unchanged to allow for
+      // some optimizations.
+      //
+      state_ = target_state::unknown;
+
+      if (recipe_function** f = recipe_.target<recipe_function*> ())
+      {
+        if (*f == &noop_action)
+          state_ = target_state::unchanged;
+      }
     }
   }