diff --git a/Specs.hs b/Specs.hs
index 0e6bd25bb..709f5a72a 100644
--- a/Specs.hs
+++ b/Specs.hs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 module Specs where
 
 import Test.Hspec
-import Test.Hspec.Runner (hHspecWithFormat)
+import Test.Hspec.Runner (hHspecWithFormat, toExitCode)
 import Test.Hspec.Core (Spec(..),Result(..),quantify,failedCount)
 import Test.Hspec.Formatters (specdoc)
 import Test.Hspec.QuickCheck
@@ -10,14 +10,10 @@ import Test.Hspec.HUnit ()
 import System.IO
 import System.IO.Silently
 import System.Environment
-import System.Exit
+import System.Exit (exitWith)
 import Data.List (isPrefixOf)
 import qualified Test.HUnit as HUnit
 
-toExitCode :: Bool -> ExitCode
-toExitCode True  = ExitSuccess
-toExitCode False = ExitFailure 1
-
 main :: IO ()
 main = do
   ar <- getArgs
diff --git a/Test/Hspec.hs b/Test/Hspec.hs
index d0d5b2303..a4ca9d5f1 100644
--- a/Test/Hspec.hs
+++ b/Test/Hspec.hs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ module Test.Hspec (
   -- types
   Spec(), Result(),Specs,
   -- the main api
-  describe, it, hspec, pending, descriptions,
+  describe, it, hspec, hspecB, hspecX, pending, descriptions,
   -- alternate "runner" functions
   hHspec
 ) where
diff --git a/Test/Hspec/Core.hs b/Test/Hspec/Core.hs
index b4c1cb36c..33ad10c7c 100644
--- a/Test/Hspec/Core.hs
+++ b/Test/Hspec/Core.hs
@@ -94,10 +94,16 @@ pending :: String  -- ^ An explanation for why this behavior is pending.
 pending = Pending
 
 
-
 failedCount :: [Spec] -> Int
 failedCount ss = length $ filter (isFailure.result) ss
 
+failure :: [Spec] -> Bool
+failure = any (isFailure.result)
+
+success :: [Spec] -> Bool
+success = not . failure
+
+
 isFailure :: Result -> Bool
 isFailure (Fail _) = True
 isFailure _        = False
diff --git a/Test/Hspec/Monadic.hs b/Test/Hspec/Monadic.hs
index 29462f185..31b0255b3 100644
--- a/Test/Hspec/Monadic.hs
+++ b/Test/Hspec/Monadic.hs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 -- > import Test.QuickCheck hiding (property)
 -- > import Test.HUnit
 -- >
--- > main = hspec mySpecs
+-- > main = hspecX $ do
 --
 -- Since the specs are often used to tell you what to implement, it's best to start with
 -- undefined functions. Once we have some specs, then you can implement each behavior
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 --
 -- The "describe" function takes a list of behaviors and examples bound together with the "it" function
 --
--- > mySpecs = describe "unformatPhoneNumber" $ do
+-- > describe "unformatPhoneNumber" $ do
 --
 -- A boolean expression can act as a behavior's example.
 --
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ module Test.Hspec.Monadic (
   -- types
   Spec(), Result(),Specs,
   -- the main api
-  describe, it, hspec, pending, descriptions,
+  describe, it, hspec, hspecB, hspecX, pending, descriptions,
   -- alternate "runner" functions
   hHspec,
   -- this is just for internal use
@@ -90,6 +90,14 @@ type Specs = Writer [IO [IO Spec]] ()
 hspec :: Specs -> IO [Spec]
 hspec = Runner.hspec . runSpecM
 
+-- | Use in place of @hspec@ to also exit the program with an @ExitCode@
+hspecX :: Specs -> IO a
+hspecX = Runner.hspecX . runSpecM
+
+-- | Use in place of hspec to also give a @Bool@ success indication
+hspecB :: Specs -> IO Bool
+hspecB = Runner.hspecB . runSpecM
+
 -- | Create a document of the given specs and write it to the given handle.
 --
 -- > writeReport filename specs = withFile filename WriteMode (\ h -> hHspec h specs)
diff --git a/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs b/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs
index 916d63b6d..3b7abfbef 100644
--- a/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs
+++ b/Test/Hspec/Runner.hs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 -- report to a given handle.
 --
 module Test.Hspec.Runner (
-  Specs, hspec, hHspec, hHspecWithFormat, describe, it
+  Specs, hspec, hspecX, hspecB, hHspec, hHspecWithFormat, describe, it, toExitCode
 ) where
 
 import Test.Hspec.Core
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import Test.Hspec.Formatters
 import System.IO
 import System.CPUTime (getCPUTime)
 import Control.Monad (when)
+import System.Exit
 
 type Specs = [IO Spec]
 
@@ -37,6 +38,13 @@ errorDetails spec i = case result spec of
   (Fail s   ) -> concat [ show (i + 1), ") ", name spec, " ",  requirement spec, " FAILED", if null s then "" else "\n" ++ s ]
   _           -> ""
 
+-- | Use in place of @hspec@ to also exit the program with an @ExitCode@
+hspecX :: IO Specs -> IO a
+hspecX ss = hspecB ss >>= exitWith . toExitCode
+
+-- | Use in place of hspec to also give a @Bool@ success indication
+hspecB :: IO Specs -> IO Bool
+hspecB ss = hspec ss >>= return . success
 
 -- | Create a document of the given specs and write it to stdout.
 hspec :: IO Specs -> IO [Spec]
@@ -61,3 +69,7 @@ hHspecWithFormat formatter h ss = do
   (footerFormatter formatter) h specList runTime
   return specList
 
+toExitCode :: Bool -> ExitCode
+toExitCode True  = ExitSuccess
+toExitCode False = ExitFailure 1
+