diff --git a/WDL/runtime/task.py b/WDL/runtime/task.py
index 0d2ceff4..623b0418 100644
--- a/WDL/runtime/task.py
+++ b/WDL/runtime/task.py
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ def _eval_task_runtime(
     container: "runtime.task_container.TaskContainer",
     env: Env.Bindings[Value.Base],
     stdlib: StdLib.Base,
-) -> Dict[str, Union[int, str]]:
+) -> Dict[str, Union[int, str, List[int], List[str]]]:
     runtime_values = {}
     for key, v in cfg["task_runtime"].get_dict("defaults").items():
         if isinstance(v, str):
@@ -495,13 +495,28 @@ def _eval_task_runtime(
         ans["maxRetries"] = max(0, runtime_values["maxRetries"].coerce(Type.Int()).value)
     if "preemptible" in runtime_values:
         ans["preemptible"] = max(0, runtime_values["preemptible"].coerce(Type.Int()).value)
+    if "returnCodes" in runtime_values:
+        rcv = runtime_values["returnCodes"]
+        if isinstance(rcv, Value.String) and rcv.value == "*":
+            ans["returnCodes"] = "*"
+        elif isinstance(rcv, Value.Int):
+            ans["returnCodes"] = rcv.value
+        elif isinstance(rcv, Value.Array):
+            try:
+                ans["returnCodes"] = [v.coerce(Type.Int()).value for v in rcv.value]
+            except:
+                pass
+        if "returnCodes" not in ans:
+            raise Error.EvalError(
+                task.runtime["returnCodes"], "invalid setting of runtime.returnCodes"
+            )
 
     if ans:
         logger.info(_("effective runtime", **ans))
     unused_keys = list(
         key
         for key in runtime_values
-        if key not in ("cpu", "memory", "docker", "container") and key not in ans
+        if key not in ("memory", "docker", "container") and key not in ans
     )
     if unused_keys:
         logger.warning(_("ignored runtime settings", keys=unused_keys))
diff --git a/WDL/runtime/task_container.py b/WDL/runtime/task_container.py
index 1b917419..c29ec579 100644
--- a/WDL/runtime/task_container.py
+++ b/WDL/runtime/task_container.py
@@ -217,13 +217,13 @@ def run(self, logger: logging.Logger, command: str) -> None:
                     raise Terminated(quiet=True)
                 self._running = True
                 try:
-                    exit_status = self._run(logger, terminating, command)
+                    exit_code = self._run(logger, terminating, command)
                 finally:
                     self._running = False
 
-                if exit_status != 0:
+                if not self.success_exit_code(exit_code):
                     raise CommandFailed(
-                        exit_status, self.host_stderr_txt(), more_info=self.failure_info
+                        exit_code, self.host_stderr_txt(), more_info=self.failure_info
                     ) if not terminating() else Terminated()
 
     @abstractmethod
@@ -231,6 +231,14 @@ def _run(self, logger: logging.Logger, terminating: Callable[[], bool], command:
         # run command in container & return exit status
         raise NotImplementedError()
 
+    def success_exit_code(self, exit_code: int) -> bool:
+        if "returnCodes" not in self.runtime_values:
+            return exit_code == 0
+        rcv = self.runtime_values["returnCodes"]
+        if isinstance(rcv, str) and rcv == "*":
+            return True
+        return exit_code in (rcv if isinstance(rcv, list) else [rcv])
+
     def delete_work(self, logger: logging.Logger, delete_streams: bool = False) -> None:
         """
         After the container exits, delete all filesystem traces of it except for task.log. That
@@ -645,7 +653,9 @@ def _run(self, logger: logging.Logger, terminating: Callable[[], bool], command:
                         if attempt >= server_error_retries:
                             break
                         time.sleep(polling_period)
-            self.chown(logger, client, exit_code == 0)
+            self.chown(
+                logger, client, isinstance(exit_code, int) and self.success_exit_code(exit_code)
+            )
             client.close()
 
     def resolve_tag(
diff --git a/docs/runner_reference.md b/docs/runner_reference.md
index e7d73b7c..2c867332 100644
--- a/docs/runner_reference.md
+++ b/docs/runner_reference.md
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ The runner supports versions 1.1, 1.0, and draft-2 of the [WDL specification](ht
 * `Object` type is unsupported except for initializing WDL 1.0+ `struct` types, which should be used instead.
   * The `read_object()` and `read_objects()` library functions are available *only* for initializing structs and `Map[String,String]`
 * Task may only *output* files created within/beneath its container's initial working directory, not e.g. under `/tmp` ([#214](https://github.com/chanzuckerberg/miniwdl/issues/214))
-* The following task runtime values are ignored: `gpu` `disks` `returnCodes`
+* The following task runtime values are ignored: `disks` `gpu`
 * Rejects certain name collisions that Cromwell admits (spec-ambiguous), such as between:
   * scatter variable and prior declaration
   * output declaration and prior non-output declaration
diff --git a/tests/test_4taskrun.py b/tests/test_4taskrun.py
index e33f0478..b1525bb6 100644
--- a/tests/test_4taskrun.py
+++ b/tests/test_4taskrun.py
@@ -812,6 +812,70 @@ def test_runtime_memory_limit(self):
         outputs = self._test_task(txt, {"memory": "256MB"}, cfg=cfg)
         self.assertLess(outputs["memory_limit_in_bytes"], 300*1024*1024)
 
+    def test_runtime_returnCodes(self):
+        txt = R"""
+        version 1.0
+        task limit {
+            input {
+                Int status
+            }
+            command <<<
+                echo Hi
+                exit ~{status}
+            >>>
+            output {
+                File out = stdout()
+            }
+            runtime {
+                returnCodes: 42
+            }
+        }
+        """
+        cfg = WDL.runtime.config.Loader(logging.getLogger(self.id()), [])
+        self._test_task(txt, {"status": 0}, cfg=cfg, expected_exception=WDL.runtime.CommandFailed)
+        self._test_task(txt, {"status": 42}, cfg=cfg)
+        txt = R"""
+        version 1.0
+        task limit {
+            input {
+                Int status
+            }
+            command <<<
+                echo Hi
+                exit ~{status}
+            >>>
+            output {
+                File out = stdout()
+            }
+            runtime {
+                returnCodes: [0,42]
+            }
+        }
+        """
+        self._test_task(txt, {"status": 0}, cfg=cfg)
+        self._test_task(txt, {"status": 42}, cfg=cfg)
+        self._test_task(txt, {"status": 41}, cfg=cfg, expected_exception=WDL.runtime.CommandFailed)
+        txt = R"""
+        version 1.0
+        task limit {
+            input {
+                Int status
+            }
+            command <<<
+                echo Hi
+                exit ~{status}
+            >>>
+            output {
+                File out = stdout()
+            }
+            runtime {
+                returnCodes: "*"
+            }
+        }
+        """
+        self._test_task(txt, {"status": 0}, cfg=cfg)
+        self._test_task(txt, {"status": 42}, cfg=cfg)
+
     def test_input_files_rw(self):
         txt = R"""
         version 1.0