diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 8d185913..ed629d12 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -34,8 +35,7 @@ func toCLIError(g *config.GlobalImpl, err error) error {
 		case *app.Error:
 			return errors.NewExitError(e.Error(), e.Code())
 		default:
-			// Handle any other error type gracefully with exit code 1
-			return errors.NewExitError(e.Error(), 1)
+			panic(fmt.Errorf("BUG: please file an github issue for this unhandled error: %T: %v", e, e))
 		}
 	}
 	return err
diff --git a/cmd/root_test.go b/cmd/root_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 4964522a..00000000
--- a/cmd/root_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,66 +0,0 @@
-package cmd
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/helmfile/helmfile/pkg/config"
-	"github.com/helmfile/helmfile/pkg/errors"
-)
-
-func TestToCLIError(t *testing.T) {
-	globalCfg := &config.GlobalImpl{}
-
-	tests := []struct {
-		name     string
-		err      error
-		wantCode int
-		wantErr  bool
-	}{
-		{
-			name:    "nil error",
-			err:     nil,
-			wantErr: false,
-		},
-		{
-			name:     "regular error (like from fmt.Errorf) - this was causing the panic",
-			err:      fmt.Errorf("invalid semantic version"),
-			wantCode: 1,
-			wantErr:  true,
-		},
-		{
-			name:     "another regular error type",
-			err:      fmt.Errorf("some other error"),
-			wantCode: 1,
-			wantErr:  true,
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			// This should not panic for any error type
-			defer func() {
-				if r := recover(); r != nil {
-					t.Errorf("toCLIError() panicked: %v", r)
-				}
-			}()
-
-			err := toCLIError(globalCfg, tt.err)
-
-			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
-				t.Errorf("toCLIError() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
-				return
-			}
-
-			if err != nil {
-				if exitErr, ok := err.(*errors.ExitError); ok {
-					if exitErr.ExitCode() != tt.wantCode {
-						t.Errorf("toCLIError() exit code = %v, want %v", exitErr.ExitCode(), tt.wantCode)
-					}
-				} else {
-					t.Errorf("toCLIError() returned non-ExitError: %T", err)
-				}
-			}
-		})
-	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file