diff --git a/changelog/65400.fixed.md b/changelog/65400.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ae21abac9fe0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/65400.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Client only process events which tag conforms to an event return.
diff --git a/salt/client/__init__.py b/salt/client/__init__.py
index 7ce8963b8f64..307ce8a0ad41 100644
--- a/salt/client/__init__.py
+++ b/salt/client/__init__.py
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ def gather_job_info(self, jid, tgt, tgt_type, listen=True, **kwargs):
             tgt_type=tgt_type,
             timeout=timeout,
             listen=listen,
-            **kwargs
+            **kwargs,
         )
 
         if "jid" in pub_data:
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ def run_job(
         jid="",
         kwarg=None,
         listen=False,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Asynchronously send a command to connected minions
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ def run_job(
                 jid=jid,
                 timeout=self._get_timeout(timeout),
                 listen=listen,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             )
         except SaltClientError:
             # Re-raise error with specific message
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ def run_job_async(
         kwarg=None,
         listen=True,
         io_loop=None,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Asynchronously send a command to connected minions
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ def run_job_async(
                 timeout=self._get_timeout(timeout),
                 io_loop=io_loop,
                 listen=listen,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             )
         except SaltClientError:
             # Re-raise error with specific message
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ def cmd_subset(
         cli=False,
         progress=False,
         full_return=False,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Execute a command on a random subset of the targeted systems
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ def cmd_subset(
             kwarg=kwarg,
             progress=progress,
             full_return=full_return,
-            **kwargs
+            **kwargs,
         )
 
     def cmd_batch(
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ def cmd_batch(
         ret="",
         kwarg=None,
         batch="10%",
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Iteratively execute a command on subsets of minions at a time
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ def cmd(
         jid="",
         full_return=False,
         kwarg=None,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Synchronously execute a command on targeted minions
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ def cmd(
                 jid,
                 kwarg=kwarg,
                 listen=True,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             )
 
             if not pub_data:
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ def cmd(
                 self._get_timeout(timeout),
                 tgt,
                 tgt_type,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             ):
 
                 if fn_ret:
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ def cmd_cli(
         verbose=False,
         kwarg=None,
         progress=False,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Used by the :command:`salt` CLI. This method returns minion returns as
@@ -821,7 +821,7 @@ def cmd_cli(
                 timeout,
                 kwarg=kwarg,
                 listen=True,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             )
             if not self.pub_data:
                 yield self.pub_data
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ def cmd_cli(
                         tgt_type,
                         verbose,
                         progress,
-                        **kwargs
+                        **kwargs,
                     ):
 
                         if not fn_ret:
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ def cmd_iter(
         tgt_type="glob",
         ret="",
         kwarg=None,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Yields the individual minion returns as they come in
@@ -901,7 +901,7 @@ def cmd_iter(
                 timeout,
                 kwarg=kwarg,
                 listen=True,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             )
 
             if not pub_data:
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ def cmd_iter(
                     timeout=self._get_timeout(timeout),
                     tgt=tgt,
                     tgt_type=tgt_type,
-                    **kwargs
+                    **kwargs,
                 ):
                     if not fn_ret:
                         continue
@@ -936,7 +936,7 @@ def cmd_iter_no_block(
         kwarg=None,
         show_jid=False,
         verbose=False,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Yields the individual minion returns as they come in, or None
@@ -972,7 +972,7 @@ def cmd_iter_no_block(
                 timeout,
                 kwarg=kwarg,
                 listen=True,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             )
 
             if not pub_data:
@@ -985,7 +985,7 @@ def cmd_iter_no_block(
                     tgt=tgt,
                     tgt_type=tgt_type,
                     block=False,
-                    **kwargs
+                    **kwargs,
                 ):
                     if fn_ret and any([show_jid, verbose]):
                         for minion in fn_ret:
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ def cmd_full_return(
         ret="",
         verbose=False,
         kwarg=None,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Execute a salt command and return
@@ -1024,7 +1024,7 @@ def cmd_full_return(
                 timeout,
                 kwarg=kwarg,
                 listen=True,
-                **kwargs
+                **kwargs,
             )
 
             if not pub_data:
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ def get_cli_returns(
         tgt_type="glob",
         verbose=False,
         show_jid=False,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Starts a watcher looking at the return data for a specified JID
@@ -1123,7 +1123,7 @@ def get_iter_returns(
         tgt_type="glob",
         expect_minions=False,
         block=True,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Watch the event system and return job data as it comes in
@@ -1202,7 +1202,13 @@ def get_iter_returns(
                     if "missing" in raw.get("data", {}):
                         missing.update(raw["data"]["missing"])
                     continue
+
+                # Anything below this point is expected to be a job return event.
+                if not raw["tag"].startswith(f"salt/job/{jid}/ret"):
+                    log.debug("Skipping non return event: %s", raw["tag"])
+                    continue
                 if "return" not in raw["data"]:
+                    log.warning("Malformed event return: %s", raw["tag"])
                     continue
                 if kwargs.get("raw", False):
                     found.add(raw["data"]["id"])
@@ -1628,7 +1634,7 @@ def get_cli_event_returns(
         progress=False,
         show_timeout=False,
         show_jid=False,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Get the returns for the command line interface via the event system
@@ -1658,7 +1664,7 @@ def get_cli_event_returns(
             expect_minions=(
                 kwargs.pop("expect_minions", False) or verbose or show_timeout
             ),
-            **kwargs
+            **kwargs,
         ):
             log.debug("return event: %s", ret)
             return_count = return_count + 1
@@ -1851,7 +1857,7 @@ def pub(
         jid="",
         timeout=5,
         listen=False,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Take the required arguments and publish the given command.
@@ -1953,7 +1959,7 @@ def pub_async(
         timeout=5,
         io_loop=None,
         listen=True,
-        **kwargs
+        **kwargs,
     ):
         """
         Take the required arguments and publish the given command.
diff --git a/tests/pytests/integration/cli/test_salt.py b/tests/pytests/integration/cli/test_salt.py
index 8e360682e84b..7f026845843c 100644
--- a/tests/pytests/integration/cli/test_salt.py
+++ b/tests/pytests/integration/cli/test_salt.py
@@ -24,6 +24,19 @@
 ]
 
 
+@pytest.fixture
+def salt_minion_2(salt_master):
+    """
+    A running salt-minion fixture
+    """
+    factory = salt_master.salt_minion_daemon(
+        "minion-2",
+        extra_cli_arguments_after_first_start_failure=["--log-level=info"],
+    )
+    with factory.started(start_timeout=120):
+        yield factory
+
+
 def test_context_retcode_salt(salt_cli, salt_minion):
     """
     Test that a nonzero retcode set in the context dunder will cause the
@@ -234,3 +247,25 @@ def test_interrupt_on_long_running_job(salt_cli, salt_master, salt_minion):
     assert "Exiting gracefully on Ctrl-c" in ret.stderr
     assert "Exception ignored in" not in ret.stderr
     assert "This job's jid is" in ret.stderr
+
+
+def test_minion_65400(salt_cli, salt_minion, salt_minion_2, salt_master):
+    """
+    Ensure correct exit status when salt CLI starts correctly.
+
+    """
+    state = f"""
+    custom_test_state:
+      test.configurable_test_state:
+        - name: example
+        - changes: True
+        - result: False
+        - comment: 65400 regression test
+    """
+    with salt_master.state_tree.base.temp_file("test_65400.sls", state):
+        ret = salt_cli.run("state.sls", "test_65400", minion_tgt="*")
+        assert isinstance(ret.data, dict)
+        assert len(ret.data.keys()) == 2
+        for minion_id in ret.data:
+            assert ret.data[minion_id] != "Error: test.configurable_test_state"
+            assert isinstance(ret.data[minion_id], dict)