diff --git a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
index 8a2f380e6..392d1b932 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ using namespace std;
 
 static const char DEFAULT_RPCCONNECT[] = "127.0.0.1";
 static const int DEFAULT_HTTP_CLIENT_TIMEOUT=900;
+static const int CONTINUE_EXECUTION=-1;
 
 std::string HelpMessageCli()
 {
@@ -67,7 +68,11 @@ public:
 
 };
 
-static bool AppInitRPC(int argc, char* argv[])
+//
+// This function returns either one of EXIT_ codes when it's expected to stop the process or
+// CONTINUE_EXECUTION when it's expected to continue further.
+//
+static int AppInitRPC(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
     //
     // Parameters
@@ -85,31 +90,35 @@ static bool AppInitRPC(int argc, char* argv[])
         }
 
         fprintf(stdout, "%s", strUsage.c_str());
-        return false;
+        if (argc < 2) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Error: too few parameters\n");
+            return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        }
+        return EXIT_SUCCESS;
     }
     if (!boost::filesystem::is_directory(GetDataDir(false))) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Error: Specified data directory \"%s\" does not exist.\n", mapArgs["-datadir"].c_str());
-        return false;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
     try {
         ReadConfigFile(GetArg("-conf", BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME), mapArgs, mapMultiArgs);
     } catch (const std::exception& e) {
         fprintf(stderr,"Error reading configuration file: %s\n", e.what());
-        return false;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
     // Check for -testnet or -regtest parameter (BaseParams() calls are only valid after this clause)
     try {
         SelectBaseParams(ChainNameFromCommandLine());
     } catch (const std::exception& e) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Error: %s\n", e.what());
-        return false;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
     if (GetBoolArg("-rpcssl", false))
     {
         fprintf(stderr, "Error: SSL mode for RPC (-rpcssl) is no longer supported.\n");
-        return false;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
-    return true;
+    return CONTINUE_EXECUTION;
 }
 
 
@@ -354,8 +363,9 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     }
 
     try {
-        if(!AppInitRPC(argc, argv))
-            return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        int ret = AppInitRPC(argc, argv);
+        if (ret != CONTINUE_EXECUTION)
+            return ret;
     }
     catch (const std::exception& e) {
         PrintExceptionContinue(&e, "AppInitRPC()");
diff --git a/src/bitcoin-tx.cpp b/src/bitcoin-tx.cpp
index e09afd632..ecc19c44a 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-tx.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-tx.cpp
@@ -30,8 +30,13 @@ using namespace std;
 
 static bool fCreateBlank;
 static map<string,UniValue> registers;
+static const int CONTINUE_EXECUTION=-1;
 
-static bool AppInitRawTx(int argc, char* argv[])
+//
+// This function returns either one of EXIT_ codes when it's expected to stop the process or
+// CONTINUE_EXECUTION when it's expected to continue further.
+//
+static int AppInitRawTx(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
     //
     // Parameters
@@ -89,9 +94,13 @@ static bool AppInitRawTx(int argc, char* argv[])
         strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("set=NAME:JSON-STRING", _("Set register NAME to given JSON-STRING"));
         fprintf(stdout, "%s", strUsage.c_str());
 
-        return false;
+        if (argc < 2) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Error: too few parameters\n");
+            return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        }
+        return EXIT_SUCCESS;
     }
-    return true;
+    return CONTINUE_EXECUTION;
 }
 
 static void RegisterSetJson(const string& key, const string& rawJson)
@@ -678,8 +687,9 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     SetupEnvironment();
 
     try {
-        if(!AppInitRawTx(argc, argv))
-            return EXIT_FAILURE;
+        int ret = AppInitRawTx(argc, argv);
+        if (ret != CONTINUE_EXECUTION)
+            return ret;
     }
     catch (const std::exception& e) {
         PrintExceptionContinue(&e, "AppInitRawTx()");
diff --git a/src/bitcoind.cpp b/src/bitcoind.cpp
index 351463c25..3352a76de 100644
--- a/src/bitcoind.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoind.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ bool AppInit(int argc, char* argv[])
         }
 
         fprintf(stdout, "%s", strUsage.c_str());
-        return false;
+        return true;
     }
 
     try
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ bool AppInit(int argc, char* argv[])
         if (fCommandLine)
         {
             fprintf(stderr, "Error: There is no RPC client functionality in bitcoind anymore. Use the bitcoin-cli utility instead.\n");
-            exit(1);
+            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
         if (GetBoolArg("-daemon", false))
         {
@@ -177,5 +177,5 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     // Connect bitcoind signal handlers
     noui_connect();
 
-    return (AppInit(argc, argv) ? 0 : 1);
+    return (AppInit(argc, argv) ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
diff --git a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
index 9986af495..c828234f4 100644
--- a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ void BitcoinApplication::shutdownResult(int retval)
 void BitcoinApplication::handleRunawayException(const QString &message)
 {
     QMessageBox::critical(0, "Runaway exception", BitcoinGUI::tr("A fatal error occurred. Bitcoin can no longer continue safely and will quit.") + QString("\n\n") + message);
-    ::exit(1);
+    ::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
 WId BitcoinApplication::getMainWinId() const
@@ -573,13 +573,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     {
         HelpMessageDialog help(NULL, mapArgs.count("-version"));
         help.showOrPrint();
-        return 1;
+        return EXIT_SUCCESS;
     }
 
     /// 5. Now that settings and translations are available, ask user for data directory
     // User language is set up: pick a data directory
     if (!Intro::pickDataDirectory())
-        return 0;
+        return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 
     /// 6. Determine availability of data directory and parse bitcoin.conf
     /// - Do not call GetDataDir(true) before this step finishes
@@ -587,14 +587,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     {
         QMessageBox::critical(0, QObject::tr(PACKAGE_NAME),
                               QObject::tr("Error: Specified data directory \"%1\" does not exist.").arg(QString::fromStdString(mapArgs["-datadir"])));
-        return 1;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
     try {
         ReadConfigFile(GetArg("-conf", BITCOIN_CONF_FILENAME), mapArgs, mapMultiArgs);
     } catch (const std::exception& e) {
         QMessageBox::critical(0, QObject::tr(PACKAGE_NAME),
                               QObject::tr("Error: Cannot parse configuration file: %1. Only use key=value syntax.").arg(e.what()));
-        return false;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
     /// 7. Determine network (and switch to network specific options)
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         SelectParams(ChainNameFromCommandLine());
     } catch(std::exception &e) {
         QMessageBox::critical(0, QObject::tr(PACKAGE_NAME), QObject::tr("Error: %1").arg(e.what()));
-        return 1;
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 #ifdef ENABLE_WALLET
     // Parse URIs on command line -- this can affect Params()
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     // - Do this after creating app and setting up translations, so errors are
     // translated properly.
     if (PaymentServer::ipcSendCommandLine())
-        exit(0);
+        exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 
     // Start up the payment server early, too, so impatient users that click on
     // bitcoin: links repeatedly have their payment requests routed to this process: