diff --git a/e2e/nx-misc/src/extras.test.ts b/e2e/nx-misc/src/extras.test.ts
index 92810f53a785a..654e93d6cb5a0 100644
--- a/e2e/nx-misc/src/extras.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/nx-misc/src/extras.test.ts
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ describe('Extra Nx Misc Tests', () => {
         runCLI(`run ${mylib}:error`);
         fail('Should error if process errors');
       } catch (e) {
-        expect(e.stdout.toString()).toContain(
-          'Something went wrong in run-commands - Command failed: exit 1'
+        expect(e.stderr.toString()).toContain(
+          'command "exit 1" exited with non-zero status code'
         );
       }
     });
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts b/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts
index aed60308944be..d0bfdcfdbf2d2 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/executors/run-commands/run-commands.impl.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { exec, execSync } from 'child_process';
+import { exec } from 'child_process';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import * as yargsParser from 'yargs-parser';
 import { env as appendLocalEnv } from 'npm-run-path';
@@ -176,12 +176,20 @@ async function runSerially(
   context: ExecutorContext
 ) {
   for (const c of options.commands) {
-    createSyncProcess(
-      c.command,
+    const success = await createProcess(
+      c,
+      undefined,
       options.color,
       calculateCwd(options.cwd, context)
     );
+    if (!success) {
+      process.stderr.write(
+        `Warning: run-commands command "${c.command}" exited with non-zero status code`
+      );
+      return false;
+    }
   }
+
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -205,9 +213,14 @@ function createProcess(
     /**
      * Ensure the child process is killed when the parent exits
      */
-    const processExitListener = () => childProcess.kill();
+    const processExitListener = (signal?: number | NodeJS.Signals) => () =>
+      childProcess.kill(signal);
+
     process.on('exit', processExitListener);
     process.on('SIGTERM', processExitListener);
+    process.on('SIGINT', processExitListener);
+    process.on('SIGQUIT', processExitListener);
+
     childProcess.stdout.on('data', (data) => {
       process.stdout.write(addColorAndPrefix(data, commandConfig));
       if (readyWhen && data.toString().indexOf(readyWhen) > -1) {
@@ -253,15 +266,6 @@ function addColorAndPrefix(
   return out;
 }
 
-function createSyncProcess(command: string, color: boolean, cwd: string) {
-  execSync(command, {
-    env: processEnv(color),
-    stdio: ['inherit', 'inherit', 'inherit'],
-    maxBuffer: LARGE_BUFFER,
-    cwd,
-  });
-}
-
 function calculateCwd(
   cwd: string | undefined,
   context: ExecutorContext