diff --git a/src/diffviewer/ydiff.c b/src/diffviewer/ydiff.c
index a82cdf946..ae58e706f 100644
--- a/src/diffviewer/ydiff.c
+++ b/src/diffviewer/ydiff.c
@@ -3335,7 +3335,7 @@ diff_view (const char *file1, const char *file2, const char *label1, const char
     if ((error != 0) || (dview_dlg->state == DLG_CLOSED))
         destroy_dlg (dview_dlg);
 
-    return error;
+    return error == 0 ? 1 : 0;
 }
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -3438,8 +3438,8 @@ dview_diff_cmd (void)
     vfs_path_free (file1);
     vfs_path_free (file0);
 
-    if (rv != 0)
-        message (1, MSG_ERROR, _("Two files are needed to compare"));
+    if (rv == 0)
+        message (D_ERROR, MSG_ERROR, _("Two files are needed to compare"));
 }
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/filemanager/midnight.c b/src/filemanager/midnight.c
index 7273a8ba2..8b0455546 100644
--- a/src/filemanager/midnight.c
+++ b/src/filemanager/midnight.c
@@ -942,9 +942,11 @@ prepend_cwd_on_local (const char *filename)
 /** Invoke the internal view/edit routine with:
  * the default processing and forcing the internal viewer/editor
  */
-static void
+static gboolean
 mc_maybe_editor_or_viewer (void)
 {
+    int ret;
+
     switch (mc_global.mc_run_mode)
     {
 #ifdef USE_INTERNAL_EDIT
@@ -953,7 +955,7 @@ mc_maybe_editor_or_viewer (void)
             vfs_path_t *param_vpath;
 
             param_vpath = vfs_path_from_str (mc_run_param0);
-            edit_file (param_vpath, mc_args__edit_start_line);
+            ret = edit_file (param_vpath, mc_args__edit_start_line);
             vfs_path_free (param_vpath);
         }
         break;
@@ -965,16 +967,19 @@ mc_maybe_editor_or_viewer (void)
             vpath = prepend_cwd_on_local (mc_run_param0);
             view_file (vpath, 0, 1);
             vfs_path_free (vpath);
+            ret = 1;
             break;
         }
 #ifdef USE_DIFF_VIEW
     case MC_RUN_DIFFVIEWER:
-        diff_view (mc_run_param0, mc_run_param1, mc_run_param0, mc_run_param1);
+        ret = diff_view (mc_run_param0, mc_run_param1, mc_run_param0, mc_run_param1);
         break;
 #endif /* USE_DIFF_VIEW */
     default:
-        break;
+        ret = 0;
     }
+
+    return (ret != 0);
 }
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -1651,9 +1656,11 @@ quiet_quit_cmd (void)
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 /** Run the main dialog that occupies the whole screen */
-void
+gboolean
 do_nc (void)
 {
+    gboolean ret;
+
     dlg_colors_t midnight_colors;
 
     midnight_colors[DLG_COLOR_NORMAL] = mc_skin_color_get ("dialog", "_default_");
@@ -1676,10 +1683,11 @@ do_nc (void)
 
     /* Check if we were invoked as an editor or file viewer */
     if (mc_global.mc_run_mode != MC_RUN_FULL)
-        mc_maybe_editor_or_viewer ();
+        ret = mc_maybe_editor_or_viewer ();
     else
     {
         create_panels_and_run_mc ();
+        ret = TRUE;
 
         /* destroy_dlg destroys even current_panel->cwd_vpath, so we have to save a copy :) */
         if (mc_args__last_wd_file != NULL && vfs_current_is_local ())
@@ -1704,6 +1712,8 @@ do_nc (void)
 
     if ((quit & SUBSHELL_EXIT) == 0)
         clr_scr ();
+
+    return ret;
 }
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/filemanager/midnight.h b/src/filemanager/midnight.h
index 7072887f6..12be488fc 100644
--- a/src/filemanager/midnight.h
+++ b/src/filemanager/midnight.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void load_hint (gboolean force);
 void change_panel (void);
 void save_cwds_stat (void);
 gboolean quiet_quit_cmd (void);
-void do_nc (void);
+gboolean do_nc (void);
 
 /*** inline functions ****************************************************************************/
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index ad6891501..4e13d23a0 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -536,8 +536,10 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
         mc_prompt = (geteuid () == 0) ? "# " : "$ ";
 
     /* Program main loop */
-    if (!mc_global.widget.midnight_shutdown)
-        do_nc ();
+    if (mc_global.widget.midnight_shutdown)
+        exit_code = EXIT_SUCCESS;
+    else
+        exit_code = do_nc () ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
 
     /* Save the tree store */
     (void) tree_store_save ();
@@ -609,17 +611,16 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
     mc_config_deinit_config_paths ();
 
     (void) mc_event_deinit (&error);
-
     if (error != NULL)
     {
         fprintf (stderr, _("\nFailed while close:\n%s\n"), error->message);
         g_error_free (error);
-        exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+        exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
     (void) putchar ('\n');      /* Hack to make shell's prompt start at left of screen */
 
-    return 0;
+    return exit_code;
 }
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */