diff --git a/src/dashd.cpp b/src/dashd.cpp
index 46f62a6483d9c..8db07c1ddb186 100644
--- a/src/dashd.cpp
+++ b/src/dashd.cpp
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ bool AppInit(int argc, char* argv[])
         for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
             if (!IsSwitchChar(argv[i][0])) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "Error: Command line contains unexpected token '%s', see dashd -h for a list of options.\n", argv[i]);
-                exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+                return false;
             }
         }
 
@@ -145,17 +145,17 @@ bool AppInit(int argc, char* argv[])
         if (!AppInitBasicSetup())
         {
             // InitError will have been called with detailed error, which ends up on console
-            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+            return false;
         }
         if (!AppInitParameterInteraction())
         {
             // InitError will have been called with detailed error, which ends up on console
-            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+            return false;
         }
         if (!AppInitSanityChecks())
         {
             // InitError will have been called with detailed error, which ends up on console
-            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+            return false;
         }
         if (gArgs.GetBoolArg("-daemon", false))
         {
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ bool AppInit(int argc, char* argv[])
         if (!AppInitLockDataDirectory())
         {
             // If locking the data directory failed, exit immediately
-            exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+            return false;
         }
         fRet = AppInitMain(threadGroup, scheduler);
     } catch (...) {