diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/update_packages.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/update_packages.dart
index b2698c023c2..0dc01d58cae 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/update_packages.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/update_packages.dart
@@ -524,15 +524,13 @@ class UpdatePackagesCommand extends FlutterCommand {
 
     // Run "pub get" on it in order to force the download of any
     // needed packages to the pub cache, upgrading if requested.
-    // TODO(ianh): If this fails, the tool exits silently.
-    // It can fail, e.g., if --cherry-pick-version is invalid.
     await pub.get(
       context: PubContext.updatePackages,
       project: FlutterProject.fromDirectory(syntheticPackageDir),
       upgrade: doUpgrade,
       offline: boolArg('offline'),
       flutterRootOverride: temporaryFlutterSdk?.path,
-      outputMode: PubOutputMode.none,
+      outputMode: PubOutputMode.failuresOnly,
     );
 
     if (reportDependenciesToTree) {
@@ -615,7 +613,7 @@ class UpdatePackagesCommand extends FlutterCommand {
             // All dependencies should already have been downloaded by the fake
             // package, so the concurrent checks can all happen offline.
             offline: true,
-            outputMode: PubOutputMode.none,
+            outputMode: PubOutputMode.failuresOnly,
           );
           stopwatch.stop();
           final double seconds = stopwatch.elapsedMilliseconds / 1000.0;
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/dart/pub.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/dart/pub.dart
index c619a774701..656ab79109d 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/dart/pub.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/dart/pub.dart
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import '../convert.dart';
 import '../dart/package_map.dart';
 import '../project.dart';
 import '../reporting/reporting.dart';
+import '../version.dart';
 
 /// The [Pub] instance.
 Pub get pub => context.get<Pub>()!;
@@ -91,13 +92,16 @@ class PubContext {
 }
 
 /// Describes the amount of output that should get printed from a `pub` command.
-/// [PubOutputMode.all] indicates that the complete output is printed. This is
-/// typically the default.
-/// [PubOutputMode.none] indicates that no output should be printed.
-/// [PubOutputMode.summaryOnly] indicates that only summary information should be printed.
 enum PubOutputMode {
-  none,
+  /// No normal output should be printed.
+  ///
+  /// If the command were to fail, failures are still printed.
+  failuresOnly,
+
+  /// The complete output should be printed; this is typically the default.
   all,
+
+  /// Only summary information should be printed.
   summaryOnly,
 }
 
@@ -392,8 +396,9 @@ class _DefaultPub implements Pub {
     final List<String> pubCommand = <String>[..._pubCommand, ...arguments];
     final Map<String, String> pubEnvironment = await _createPubEnvironment(context: context, flutterRootOverride: flutterRootOverride, summaryOnly: outputMode == PubOutputMode.summaryOnly);
 
+    String? pubStderr;
     try {
-      if (outputMode != PubOutputMode.none) {
+      if (outputMode != PubOutputMode.failuresOnly) {
         final io.Stdio? stdio = _stdio;
         if (stdio == null) {
           // Let pub inherit stdio and output directly to the tool's stdout and
@@ -447,6 +452,7 @@ class _DefaultPub implements Pub {
         );
 
         exitCode = result.exitCode;
+        pubStderr = result.stderr;
       }
     } on io.ProcessException catch (exception) {
       final StringBuffer buffer = StringBuffer('${exception.message}\n');
@@ -477,7 +483,27 @@ class _DefaultPub implements Pub {
       buffer.write(_stringifyPubEnv(pubEnvironment));
       buffer.writeln('exit code: $code');
       _logger.printTrace(buffer.toString());
-      throwToolExit(null, exitCode: code);
+
+      // When this is null, but a failure happened, it is assumed that stderr
+      // was already redirected to the process stderr. This handles the corner
+      // case where we otherwise would log nothing. See
+      // https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/148569 for details.
+      if (pubStderr != null) {
+        _logger.printError(pubStderr);
+      }
+      if (context == PubContext.updatePackages) {
+        _logger.printWarning(
+          'If the current version was resolved as $kUnknownFrameworkVersion '
+          'and this is a fork of flutter/flutter, you forgot to set the remote '
+          'upstream branch to point to the canonical flutter/flutter: \n\n'
+          '  git remote set-url upstream https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git\n'
+          '\n'
+          'See https://github.com/flutter/flutter/blob/main/docs/contributing/Setting-up-the-Framework-development-environment.md#set-up-your-environment.');
+      }
+      throwToolExit(
+        'Failed to update packages.',
+        exitCode: code,
+      );
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/flutter_cache.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/flutter_cache.dart
index 104177f7aaa..78bb249779c 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/flutter_cache.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/flutter_cache.dart
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class PubDependencies extends ArtifactSet {
         fileSystem.directory(fileSystem.path.join(_flutterRoot(), 'packages', 'flutter_tools'))
       ),
       offline: offline,
-      outputMode: PubOutputMode.none,
+      outputMode: PubOutputMode.failuresOnly,
     );
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart
index cbef04a9892..77ea1b13d0d 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/version.dart
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ import 'cache.dart';
 import 'convert.dart';
 import 'globals.dart' as globals;
 
-const String _unknownFrameworkVersion = '0.0.0-unknown';
+/// The default version when a version could not be determined.
+const String kUnknownFrameworkVersion = '0.0.0-unknown';
 
 /// A git shortcut for the branch that is being tracked by the current one.
 ///
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ abstract class FlutterVersion {
 
   @override
   String toString() {
-    final String versionText = frameworkVersion == _unknownFrameworkVersion ? '' : ' $frameworkVersion';
+    final String versionText = frameworkVersion == kUnknownFrameworkVersion ? '' : ' $frameworkVersion';
     final String flutterText = 'Flutter$versionText • channel $channel • ${repositoryUrl ?? 'unknown source'}';
     final String frameworkText = 'Framework • revision $frameworkRevisionShort ($frameworkAge) • $frameworkCommitDate';
     final String engineText = 'Engine • revision $engineRevisionShort';
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ abstract class FlutterVersion {
 
   /// Return a short string for the version (e.g. `master/0.0.59-pre.92`, `scroll_refactor/a76bc8e22b`).
   String getVersionString({ bool redactUnknownBranches = false }) {
-    if (frameworkVersion != _unknownFrameworkVersion) {
+    if (frameworkVersion != kUnknownFrameworkVersion) {
       return '${getBranchName(redactUnknownBranches: redactUnknownBranches)}/$frameworkVersion';
     }
     return '${getBranchName(redactUnknownBranches: redactUnknownBranches)}/$frameworkRevisionShort';
@@ -1053,7 +1054,7 @@ class GitTagVersion {
 
   String frameworkVersionFor(String revision) {
     if (x == null || y == null || z == null || (hash != null && !revision.startsWith(hash!))) {
-      return _unknownFrameworkVersion;
+      return kUnknownFrameworkVersion;
     }
     if (commits == 0 && gitTag != null) {
       return gitTag!;
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/cache_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/cache_test.dart
index b19633d4b9b..8a8b51bb0fe 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/cache_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/cache_test.dart
@@ -1039,7 +1039,7 @@ void main() {
     expect(
       pub.invocations.first,
       predicate<FakePubInvocation>(
-        (FakePubInvocation invocation) => invocation.outputMode == PubOutputMode.none,
+        (FakePubInvocation invocation) => invocation.outputMode == PubOutputMode.failuresOnly,
         'Pub invoked with PubOutputMode.none',
       ),
     );
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/dart/pub_get_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/dart/pub_get_test.dart
index 4e08a755008..1a9e079620c 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/dart/pub_get_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/dart/pub_get_test.dart
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ exit code: 66
         context: PubContext.flutterTests,
       ),
       throwsA(isA<ToolExit>()
-          .having((ToolExit error) => error.message, 'message', null)),
+          .having((ToolExit error) => error.message, 'message', contains('Failed to update packages'))),
     );
     expect(logger.statusText, isEmpty);
     expect(logger.traceText, contains(toolExitMessage));
@@ -629,6 +629,62 @@ exit code: 66
     expect(processManager, hasNoRemainingExpectations);
   });
 
+  testWithoutContext('pub get with failing exit code even with OutputMode == failuresOnly', () async {
+    final BufferLogger logger = BufferLogger.test();
+    final FileSystem fileSystem = MemoryFileSystem.test();
+
+    final FakeProcessManager processManager = FakeProcessManager.list(<FakeCommand>[
+      const FakeCommand(
+        command: <String>[
+          'bin/cache/dart-sdk/bin/dart',
+          'pub',
+          '--suppress-analytics',
+          '--directory',
+          '.',
+          'get',
+          '--example',
+        ],
+        exitCode: 1,
+        stderr: '===pub get failed stderr here===',
+        stdout: 'out1\nout2\nout3\n',
+        environment: <String, String>{
+          'FLUTTER_ROOT': '',
+          'PUB_ENVIRONMENT': 'flutter_cli:update_packages'
+        },
+      ),
+    ]);
+
+    // Intentionally not using pub.test to simulate a real environment, but
+    // we are using non-inherited I/O to avoid printing to the console.
+    final Pub pub = Pub(
+      platform: FakePlatform(),
+      fileSystem: fileSystem,
+      logger: logger,
+      usage: TestUsage(),
+      botDetector: const BotDetectorAlwaysNo(),
+      processManager: processManager,
+    );
+
+    await expectLater(
+      () => pub.get(
+        project: FlutterProject.fromDirectoryTest(fileSystem.currentDirectory),
+        context: PubContext.updatePackages,
+        outputMode: PubOutputMode.failuresOnly,
+      ),
+      throwsToolExit(
+        message: 'Failed to update packages',
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(logger.statusText, isEmpty);
+    expect(logger.errorText, contains('===pub get failed stderr here==='));
+    expect(
+      logger.warningText,
+      contains('git remote set-url upstream'),
+      reason: 'When update-packages fails, it is often because of missing an upsteam remote.',
+    );
+    expect(processManager, hasNoRemainingExpectations);
+  });
+
   testWithoutContext('pub get shows working directory on process exception',
       () async {
     final BufferLogger logger = BufferLogger.test();
@@ -745,7 +801,7 @@ exit code: 66
       await pub.get(
         project: FlutterProject.fromDirectoryTest(fileSystem.currentDirectory),
         context: PubContext.flutterTests,
-        outputMode: PubOutputMode.none,
+        outputMode: PubOutputMode.failuresOnly,
       );
     } on ToolExit {
       // Ignore.