diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index f27b9b1e2..275dcf3bd 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
  * #268: Override particular configuration options from the command-line via "--override" flag. See
    the documentation for more information:
    https://torsion.org/borgmatic/docs/how-to/make-per-application-backups/#configuration-overrides
+ * #270: Only trigger "on_error" hooks and monitoring failures for "prune", "create", and "check"
+   actions, and not for other actions.
  * When pruning with verbosity level 1, list pruned and kept archives. Previously, this information
    was only shown at verbosity level 2.
 
diff --git a/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py b/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py
index ce3719d80..b39668ad1 100644
--- a/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py
+++ b/borgmatic/commands/borgmatic.py
@@ -52,9 +52,10 @@ def run_configuration(config_filename, config, arguments):
     borg_environment.initialize(storage)
     encountered_error = None
     error_repository = ''
+    prune_create_or_check = {'prune', 'create', 'check'}.intersection(arguments)
 
     try:
-        if {'prune', 'create', 'check'}.intersection(arguments):
+        if prune_create_or_check:
             dispatch.call_hooks(
                 'ping_monitor',
                 hooks,
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ def run_configuration(config_filename, config, arguments):
                 '{}: Error running post-backup hook'.format(config_filename), error
             )
 
-    if encountered_error:
+    if encountered_error and prune_create_or_check:
         try:
             command.execute_hook(
                 hooks.get('on_error'),
diff --git a/docs/how-to/monitor-your-backups.md b/docs/how-to/monitor-your-backups.md
index f2f105dab..6f6f15055 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/monitor-your-backups.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/monitor-your-backups.md
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@ tests](https://torsion.org/borgmatic/docs/how-to/extract-a-backup/).
 
 ## Error hooks
 
-When an error occurs during a backup or another action, borgmatic can run
-configurable shell commands to fire off custom error notifications or take
-other actions, so you can get alerted as soon as something goes wrong. Here's
-a not-so-useful example:
+When an error occurs during a `prune`, `create`, or `check` action, borgmatic
+can run configurable shell commands to fire off custom error notifications or
+take other actions, so you can get alerted as soon as something goes wrong.
+Here's a not-so-useful example:
 
 ```yaml
 hooks:
@@ -91,10 +91,11 @@ here:
  * `output`: output of the command that failed (may be blank if an error
    occurred without running a command)
 
-Note that borgmatic runs the `on_error` hooks for any action in which an error
-occurs, not just the `create` action. But borgmatic does not run `on_error`
-hooks if an error occurs within a `before_everything` or `after_everything`
-hook. For more about hooks, see the [borgmatic hooks
+Note that borgmatic runs the `on_error` hooks only for `prune`, `create`, or
+`check` actions or hooks in which an error occurs, and not other actions. 
+borgmatic does not run `on_error` hooks if an error occurs within a
+`before_everything` or `after_everything` hook. For more about hooks, see the
+[borgmatic hooks
 documentation](https://torsion.org/borgmatic/docs/how-to/add-preparation-and-cleanup-steps-to-backups/),
 especially the security information.
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py b/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py
index a2b98f37d..ccc637540 100644
--- a/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py
+++ b/tests/unit/commands/test_borgmatic.py
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ def test_run_configuration_logs_on_error_hook_error():
     ).and_return(expected_results[1:])
     flexmock(module).should_receive('run_actions').and_raise(OSError)
     config = {'location': {'repositories': ['foo']}}
-    arguments = {'global': flexmock(dry_run=False)}
+    arguments = {'global': flexmock(dry_run=False), 'create': flexmock()}
 
     results = list(module.run_configuration('test.yaml', config, arguments))