diff --git a/src/c/main.d b/src/c/main.d
index a600e7ffe..8e2dd7b05 100644
--- a/src/c/main.d
+++ b/src/c/main.d
@@ -722,23 +722,27 @@ cl_boot(int argc, char **argv)
                 cl_object p, all_threads = mp_all_processes();
                 for (p = all_threads; !Null(p); p = ECL_CONS_CDR(p)) {
                         cl_object process = ECL_CONS_CAR(p);
-                        if (process != this) mp_process_kill(process);
+                        if (process != this && process->process.active)
+                                mp_process_kill(process);
                 }
                 for (p = all_threads; !Null(p); p = ECL_CONS_CDR(p)) {
                         cl_object process = ECL_CONS_CAR(p);
-                        if (process != this) mp_process_join(process);
+                        if (process != this && process->process.active)
+                                mp_process_join(process);
                 }
         }
 #endif
-        the_env->nvalues = 1;
-        the_env->values[0] = code;
+        ECL_SET(@'ext::*program-exit-code*', code);
         if (the_env->frs_org <= the_env->frs_top)
                 ecl_unwind(the_env, the_env->frs_org);
-        CEerror(Ct, "QUIT: there is no frame to return to. "
-                "Using continue will just abort.", 0);
+        si_exit(1, code);
+}
+@)
+
+@(defun ext::exit (&optional (code ECL_SYM_VAL(ecl_process_env(),@'ext::*program-exit-code*')))
+@
         cl_shutdown();
         exit(FIXNUMP(code)? fix(code) : 0);
-}
 @)
 
 cl_object
diff --git a/src/c/symbols_list.h b/src/c/symbols_list.h
index e34ec5946..1a1f0cc7f 100644
--- a/src/c/symbols_list.h
+++ b/src/c/symbols_list.h
@@ -1839,5 +1839,8 @@ cl_symbols[] = {
 
 {EXT_ "ARRAY-RAW-DATA", EXT_ORDINARY, si_array_raw_data, 1, OBJNULL},
 
+{EXT_ "*PROGRAM-EXIT-CODE*", EXT_SPECIAL, NULL, -1, MAKE_FIXNUM(0)},
+{EXT_ "EXIT", EXT_ORDINARY, si_exit, -1, OBJNULL},
+
 /* Tag for end of list */
 {NULL, CL_ORDINARY, NULL, -1, OBJNULL}};
diff --git a/src/c/symbols_list2.h b/src/c/symbols_list2.h
index cd49d3762..2a88e7dee 100644
--- a/src/c/symbols_list2.h
+++ b/src/c/symbols_list2.h
@@ -1839,5 +1839,8 @@ cl_symbols[] = {
 
 {EXT_ "ARRAY-RAW-DATA","si_array_raw_data"},
 
+{EXT_ "*PROGRAM-EXIT-CODE*",NULL},
+{EXT_ "EXIT","si_exit"},
+
 /* Tag for end of list */
 {NULL,NULL}};
diff --git a/src/cmp/cmpmain.lsp b/src/cmp/cmpmain.lsp
index 79783e830..e3d80818f 100755
--- a/src/cmp/cmpmain.lsp
+++ b/src/cmp/cmpmain.lsp
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	read_VV(OBJNULL, ~A);
 	~A
 	} CL_CATCH_ALL_END;
+	si_exit(0);
 }")
 
 #+:win32
@@ -284,6 +285,7 @@ WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdS
 	read_VV(OBJNULL, ~A);
 	~A
 	} CL_CATCH_ALL_END;
+	si_exit(0);
 }")
 
 (defun init-function-name (s &key (kind :object))
@@ -408,17 +410,7 @@ filesystem or in the database of ASDF modules."
 cl_object output;
 si_select_package(make_simple_base_string(\"CL-USER\"));
 output = si_safe_eval(3, ecl_read_from_cstring(lisp_code), Cnil, OBJNULL);
-" stream)
-		   (when (eq target :program)
-		     (princ "
-cl_shutdown();
-if (FIXNUMP(output))
-	return fix(output);
-if (Null(output) || (output == OBJNULL))
-	return 0;
-return 1;"
-                            stream))
-		   (princ #\} stream)
+}" stream)
 		   )))))
   (cond ((null prologue-code)
 	 (setf prologue-code ""))
diff --git a/src/h/external.h b/src/h/external.h
index 4669bb12b..71b11ddc7 100644
--- a/src/h/external.h
+++ b/src/h/external.h
@@ -888,6 +888,7 @@ extern ECL_API cl_object si_getenv(cl_object var);
 extern ECL_API cl_object si_setenv(cl_object var, cl_object value);
 extern ECL_API cl_object si_pointer(cl_object x);
 extern ECL_API cl_object si_quit _ARGS((cl_narg narg, ...)) /*__attribute__((noreturn))*/;
+extern ECL_API cl_object si_exit _ARGS((cl_narg narg, ...)) /*__attribute__((noreturn))*/;
 
 typedef enum {
 	ECL_OPT_INCREMENTAL_GC = 0,