Perhaps, something like this would do:

<verbatim>
--- src/http.c
+++ src/http.c
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@
   /*
   ** Jump to here if an error is seen.
   */
 write_err:
   transport_close();
-  return;
+  fossil_panic("bad server response");
 }
</verbatim>