diff --git a/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/aesh/AeshConsoleCallbackImpl.java b/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/aesh/AeshConsoleCallbackImpl.java
index 8235f69dba..608c26d0e1 100644
--- a/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/aesh/AeshConsoleCallbackImpl.java
+++ b/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/aesh/AeshConsoleCallbackImpl.java
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ class AeshConsoleCallbackImpl extends AeshConsoleCallback {
                 else if(resultHandler != null)
                     resultHandler.onFailure(result);
 
+                if (result == CommandResult.FAILURE) {
+                    // we assume the command has already output any error messages
+                    System.exit(1);
+                }
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 console.stop();
 
diff --git a/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/commands/KcRegCmd.java b/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/commands/KcRegCmd.java
index 3b513421f3..a166303871 100644
--- a/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/commands/KcRegCmd.java
+++ b/integration/client-cli/client-registration-cli/src/main/java/org/keycloak/client/registration/cli/commands/KcRegCmd.java
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ import org.jboss.aesh.cl.GroupCommandDefinition;
 import org.jboss.aesh.console.command.CommandException;
 import org.jboss.aesh.console.command.CommandResult;
 import org.jboss.aesh.console.command.invocation.CommandInvocation;
-import org.keycloak.client.registration.cli.util.IoUtil;
 
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
 
 import static org.keycloak.client.registration.cli.util.ConfigUtil.DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILE_STRING;
+import static org.keycloak.client.registration.cli.util.IoUtil.printOut;
 import static org.keycloak.client.registration.cli.util.OsUtil.CMD;
 import static org.keycloak.client.registration.cli.util.OsUtil.PROMPT;
 
@@ -43,9 +43,14 @@ public class KcRegCmd extends AbstractGlobalOptionsCmd {
     @Override
     public CommandResult execute(CommandInvocation commandInvocation) throws CommandException, InterruptedException {
         try {
-            IoUtil.printOut(usage());
-
-            return CommandResult.SUCCESS;
+            // if --help was requested then status is SUCCESS
+            // if not we print help anyway, but status is FAILURE
+            if (printHelp()) {
+                return CommandResult.SUCCESS;
+            } else {
+                printOut(usage());
+                return CommandResult.FAILURE;
+            }
         } finally {
             commandInvocation.stop();
         }
diff --git a/testsuite/integration-arquillian/tests/base/src/test/java/org/keycloak/testsuite/cli/registration/KcRegTest.java b/testsuite/integration-arquillian/tests/base/src/test/java/org/keycloak/testsuite/cli/registration/KcRegTest.java
index 2469880f80..ae80a94d34 100644
--- a/testsuite/integration-arquillian/tests/base/src/test/java/org/keycloak/testsuite/cli/registration/KcRegTest.java
+++ b/testsuite/integration-arquillian/tests/base/src/test/java/org/keycloak/testsuite/cli/registration/KcRegTest.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public class KcRegTest extends AbstractCliTest {
          */
         KcRegExec exe = execute("");
 
-        Assert.assertEquals("exitCode == 0", 0, exe.exitCode());
+        Assert.assertEquals("exitCode", 1, exe.exitCode());
 
         List<String> lines = exe.stdoutLines();
         Assert.assertTrue("stdout output not empty", lines.size() > 0);