diff --git a/avrdude/main.c b/avrdude/main.c
index e2c1e27b..9dba4706 100644
--- a/avrdude/main.c
+++ b/avrdude/main.c
@@ -1258,8 +1258,14 @@ int main(int argc, char * argv [])
   rc = pgm->initialize(pgm, p);
   if (rc < 0) {
     fprintf(stderr, "%s: initialization failed, rc=%d\n", progname, rc);
-    exitrc = 1;
-    goto main_exit;
+    if (!ovsigck) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "%sDouble check connections and try again, "
+              "or use -F to override\n"
+              "%sthis check.\n\n",
+              progbuf, progbuf);
+      exitrc = 1;
+      goto main_exit;
+    }
   }
 
   /* indicate ready */
diff --git a/avrdude/stk500.c b/avrdude/stk500.c
index f18a8895..03779f11 100644
--- a/avrdude/stk500.c
+++ b/avrdude/stk500.c
@@ -540,19 +540,7 @@ static int stk500_initialize(PROGRAMMER * pgm, AVRPART * p)
     }
   }
 
-  pgm->program_enable(pgm, p);
-
-  /*
-   * Return success even if program_enable() failed.  Otherwise, if
-   * someone has turned off the STK500 oscillator (or set it to an
-   * unreasonably slow master clock), they were hosed at this point,
-   * since to reset fosc to a reasonable value, they at least need to
-   * get avrdude to start up in terminal mode.  The luser has already
-   * seen a "failed to enter programming mode" message in that case,
-   * and he also needs to specify -F at program startup since the
-   * device ID bytes cannot be read in this situation.
-   */
-  return 0;
+  return pgm->program_enable(pgm, p);
 }