diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 6cd2090..e7f5e29 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,13 @@ impl PgTempDB {
 
         let load_output = std::process::Command::new("psql")
             .arg(self.connection_uri())
-            .args(["--file", path_str])
+            .args([
+                "--file",
+                path_str,
+                "--set",
+                "ON_ERROR_STOP=1",
+                "--single-transaction",
+            ])
             .output()
             .expect("failed to start psql. Is it installed and on your path?");
 
diff --git a/tests/dump.rs b/tests/dump.rs
index 34421af..438a222 100644
--- a/tests/dump.rs
+++ b/tests/dump.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 //! Tests for the dump and restore functionality
 
+use std::io::Write;
+
 use pgtemp::PgTempDB;
 use sqlx::postgres::PgConnection;
 use sqlx::prelude::*;
@@ -75,3 +77,22 @@ async fn dump_and_restore() {
     assert_eq!(id, 10);
     assert_eq!(name, "example name 9");
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+/// make sure that we correctly error on bad database dumps.
+#[should_panic(expected = "syntax error at or near \\\"INVALID\\")]
+async fn panic_on_load_error() {
+    let temp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let db_dump_path = temp.path().join("dump.sql");
+
+    // Create some bad database dumps
+    let mut f = std::fs::File::create(&db_dump_path).unwrap();
+    f.write_all(b"INVALID SQL").unwrap();
+    f.flush().expect("Failed to flush file");
+
+    // Try to load it (it should fail)
+    PgTempDB::builder()
+        .load_database(&db_dump_path)
+        .start_async()
+        .await;
+}