diff --git a/host/src/main.rs b/host/src/main.rs
index cf11313c..35aa68b3 100644
--- a/host/src/main.rs
+++ b/host/src/main.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,11 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
     let (wasi, _instance) = Wasi::instantiate_async(&mut store, &component, &linker).await?;
 
-    wasi.command(&mut store, 0, 0, &[], &[], &[]).await?;
+    let result: Result<(), ()> = wasi.command(&mut store, 0, 0, &[], &[], &[]).await?;
+
+    if result.is_err() {
+        anyhow::bail!("command returned with failing exit status");
+    }
 
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/host/tests/runtime.rs b/host/tests/runtime.rs
index 8137df64..201a4fbd 100644
--- a/host/tests/runtime.rs
+++ b/host/tests/runtime.rs
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ async fn run_hello_stdout(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
         &[],
         &[],
     )
-    .await?;
-    Ok(())
+    .await?
+    .map_err(|()| anyhow::anyhow!("command returned with failing exit status"))
 }
 
 async fn run_panic(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ async fn run_args(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
         &[],
         &[],
     )
-    .await?;
-    Ok(())
+    .await?
+    .map_err(|()| anyhow::anyhow!("command returned with failing exit status"))
 }
 
 async fn run_random(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
@@ -119,8 +119,8 @@ async fn run_random(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
         &[],
         &[],
     )
-    .await?;
-    Ok(())
+    .await?
+    .map_err(|()| anyhow::anyhow!("command returned with failing exit status"))
 }
 
 async fn run_time(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@ async fn run_time(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
         &[],
         &[],
     )
-    .await?;
-    Ok(())
+    .await?
+    .map_err(|()| anyhow::anyhow!("command returned with failing exit status"))
 }
 
 async fn run_stdin(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@ async fn run_stdin(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
         &[],
         &[],
     )
-    .await?;
-    Ok(())
+    .await?
+    .map_err(|()| anyhow::anyhow!("command returned with failing exit status"))
 }
 
 async fn run_env(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ async fn run_env(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
         &[("frabjous", "day"), ("callooh", "callay")],
         &[],
     )
-    .await?;
-    Ok(())
+    .await?
+    .map_err(|()| anyhow::anyhow!("command returned with failing exit status"))
 }
 
 async fn run_file_read(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
@@ -232,6 +232,72 @@ async fn run_file_read(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
         &[],
         &[(descriptor, "/")],
     )
-    .await?;
+    .await?
+    .map_err(|()| anyhow::anyhow!("command returned with failing exit status"))
+}
+
+async fn run_exit_success(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
+    let r = wasi
+        .command(
+            &mut store,
+            0 as host::Descriptor,
+            1 as host::Descriptor,
+            &[],
+            &[("frabjous", "day"), ("callooh", "callay")],
+            &[],
+        )
+        .await;
+    let err = r.unwrap_err();
+    let status = err.downcast_ref::<wasi_common::I32Exit>().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(status.0, 0);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+async fn run_exit_default(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
+    let r = wasi
+        .command(
+            &mut store,
+            0 as host::Descriptor,
+            1 as host::Descriptor,
+            &[],
+            &[("frabjous", "day"), ("callooh", "callay")],
+            &[],
+        )
+        .await?;
+    assert!(r.is_ok());
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+async fn run_exit_failure(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
+    let r = wasi
+        .command(
+            &mut store,
+            0 as host::Descriptor,
+            1 as host::Descriptor,
+            &[],
+            &[("frabjous", "day"), ("callooh", "callay")],
+            &[],
+        )
+        .await;
+    let err = r.unwrap_err();
+    let status = err.downcast_ref::<wasi_common::I32Exit>().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(status.0, 1);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+async fn run_exit_panic(mut store: Store<WasiCtx>, wasi: Wasi) -> Result<()> {
+    let r = wasi
+        .command(
+            &mut store,
+            0 as host::Descriptor,
+            1 as host::Descriptor,
+            &[],
+            &[("frabjous", "day"), ("callooh", "callay")],
+            &[],
+        )
+        .await;
+    let err = r.unwrap_err();
+    // The panic should trap.
+    assert!(err.downcast_ref::<wasi_common::I32Exit>().is_none());
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f8d99b45..5ad723e7 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn command(
     args_len: usize,
     env_vars: StrTupleList,
     preopens: PreopenList,
-) {
+) -> Result<(), ()> {
     // TODO: ideally turning off `command` would remove this import and the
     // `*.wit` metadata entirely but doing that ergonomically will likely
     // require some form of `use` to avoid duplicating lots of `*.wit` bits.
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn command(
         fn _start();
     }
     _start();
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 // We're avoiding static initializers, so replace the standard assert macros
diff --git a/test-programs/src/bin/exit_default.rs b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_default.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f328e4d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_default.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fn main() {}
diff --git a/test-programs/src/bin/exit_failure.rs b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_failure.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd7408ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_failure.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+fn main() {
+    std::process::exit(1)
+}
diff --git a/test-programs/src/bin/exit_panic.rs b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_panic.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d44527c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_panic.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+fn main() {
+    panic!("Curiouser and curiouser!")
+}
diff --git a/test-programs/src/bin/exit_success.rs b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_success.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d93f0045
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test-programs/src/bin/exit_success.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+fn main() {
+    std::process::exit(0)
+}
diff --git a/wit/wasi.wit b/wit/wasi.wit
index c5d0bb6b..599e0dfb 100644
--- a/wit/wasi.wit
+++ b/wit/wasi.wit
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ interface command {
     args: list<string>,
     env-vars: list<tuple<string, string>>,
     preopens: list<tuple<descriptor, string>>
-  )
+  ) -> result
 }
 
 interface wasi-exit {