In a brake control system for a vehicle employing a brake-by-wire (BBW) hydraulic control unit, a master cylinder serves as a first fluid pressure source and a pump serves as a second fluid pressure source operated during a BBW system normal brake operating mode. Also provided is a manual-brake hydraulic circuit capable of supplying hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder to the wheel-brake cylinder during a fail-safe operating mode. A back-flow prevention device is disposed in a pump outlet passage, intercommunicating the manual-brake hydraulic circuit and the pump outlet, for permitting free flow in one direction from the pump to the wheel cylinder. A normally-open inflow valve is disposed in the pump outlet passage downstream of the back-flow prevention device. A normally-open shutoff valve is disposed in the manual-brake hydraulic circuit upstream of the normally-open inflow valve, and unactuated and opened during the fail-safe operating mode.