diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCoffeeLintLinter.php
@@ -120,10 +120,6 @@
       }
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCpplintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCpplintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCpplintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistCpplintLinter.php
@@ -56,10 +56,6 @@
       $messages[] = $message;
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistExternalLinter.php
@@ -354,6 +354,13 @@
 
     $messages = $this->parseLinterOutput($path, $err, $stdout, $stderr);
 
+    if ($err && $this->shouldExpectCommandErrors() && !$messages) {
+      // We assume that if the future exits with a non-zero status and we
+      // failed to parse any linter messages, then something must've gone wrong
+      // during parsing.
+      $messages = false;
+    }
+
     if ($messages === false) {
       if ($err) {
         $future->resolvex();
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistFlake8Linter.php
@@ -78,10 +78,6 @@
       $messages[] = $message;
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJSONLintLinter.php
@@ -79,10 +79,6 @@
       }
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistJscsLinter.php
@@ -129,10 +129,6 @@
       }
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistLesscLinter.php
@@ -177,10 +177,6 @@
       }
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPEP8Linter.php
@@ -70,10 +70,6 @@
       $messages[] = $message;
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPuppetLintLinter.php
@@ -133,10 +133,6 @@
       $messages[] = $message;
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyFlakesLinter.php
@@ -77,10 +77,6 @@
       $messages[] = $message;
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistPyLintLinter.php
@@ -142,10 +142,6 @@
       $messages[] = $message;
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/ArcanistRubyLinter.php
@@ -81,10 +81,6 @@
       $messages[] = $message;
     }
 
-    if ($err && !$messages) {
-      return false;
-    }
-
     return $messages;
   }