diff --git a/internal/cli/move_cross_vault_test.go b/internal/cli/move_cross_vault_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..798d667
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/move_cross_vault_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+//nolint:testpackage // white-box test of unexported internals
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/awnumar/memguard"
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/secret/internal/vault"
+)
+
+// errRenameFailed is returned by renameFailFs in place of a successful
+// rename.
+var errRenameFailed = errors.New("permission denied")
+
+// renameFailFs fails every Rename of one path, as a read-only parent
+// directory does.
+type renameFailFs struct {
+	afero.Fs
+
+	path string
+}
+
+func (f *renameFailFs) Rename(oldname, newname string) error {
+	if oldname == f.path {
+		return errRenameFailed
+	}
+
+	return f.Fs.Rename(oldname, newname)
+}
+
+// TestCrossVaultMoveFailsWhenSourceRemains is a regression test for
+// https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/secret/issues/159, where a move between two
+// vaults whose source could not be removed reported the secret moved and
+// succeeded. It must fail, and the copy and the source must both be there.
+// The state directory lock refuses the wrapped filesystem, so the test
+// calls moveSecret, which MoveSecret runs once it holds the lock.
+func TestCrossVaultMoveFailsWhenSourceRemains(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	base := afero.NewMemMapFs()
+
+	_, err := vault.CreateVault(base, testStateDir, "work",
+		testMnemonicBuffer(t), nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	source, err := vault.CreateVault(base, testStateDir, "default",
+		testMnemonicBuffer(t), nil)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = source.AddSecret("x",
+		memguard.NewBufferFromBytes([]byte("value")), false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	instance := NewCLIInstanceWithStateDir(&renameFailFs{
+		Fs:   base,
+		path: testStateDir + "/vaults.d/default/secrets.d/x",
+	}, testStateDir)
+	instance.Mnemonic = testMnemonicBuffer(t)
+
+	err = instance.moveSecret(&cobra.Command{}, "default:x", "work:y", false)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errRenameFailed)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "secret 'default:x' is copied with all "+
+		"1 version(s) to 'work:y', but the source remains")
+
+	// requireValue requires that the vault vaultName holds secretName with
+	// the value stored above.
+	requireValue := func(vaultName, secretName string) {
+		vlt := vault.NewVault(base, testStateDir, vaultName)
+		vlt.Mnemonic = testMnemonicBuffer(t)
+
+		value, err := vlt.GetSecret(secretName)
+		require.NoError(t, err, vaultName+":"+secretName)
+
+		defer value.Destroy()
+
+		require.Equal(t, []byte("value"), value.Bytes())
+	}
+
+	requireValue("default", "x")
+	requireValue("work", "y")
+}
diff --git a/internal/cli/secrets.go b/internal/cli/secrets.go
index 59c64e9..827c232 100644
--- a/internal/cli/secrets.go
+++ b/internal/cli/secrets.go
@@ -1097,12 +1097,10 @@ func (cli *Instance) moveSecretCrossVault(
 	// Delete source secret
 	err = secret.RemoveDirAtomic(cli.fs, srcSecretDir)
 	if err != nil {
-		// Copy succeeded but delete failed - warn but don't fail
-		cmd.Printf("Warning: copied secret but failed to remove source: %v\n", err)
-		cmd.Printf("Moved secret '%s:%s' to '%s:%s' (%d version(s))\n",
-			srcVault.Name, srcSecretName, destVault.Name, destSecretName, versionCount)
-
-		return nil
+		return fmt.Errorf("secret '%s:%s' is copied with all %d version(s) "+
+			"to '%s:%s', but the source remains: %w",
+			srcVault.Name, srcSecretName, versionCount,
+			destVault.Name, destSecretName, err)
 	}
 
 	cmd.Printf("Moved secret '%s:%s' to '%s:%s' (%d version(s))\n",