diff --git a/cmd/ifquery.c b/cmd/ifquery.c
index 8b68b15..2778dea 100644
--- a/cmd/ifquery.c
+++ b/cmd/ifquery.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ print_interface_property(struct lif_interface *iface, const char *property)
 }
 
 void
-ifquery_usage(void)
+ifquery_usage(int status)
 {
 	fprintf(stderr, "usage: ifquery [options] <interfaces>\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "       ifquery [options] --list\n");
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ ifquery_usage(void)
 	fprintf(stderr, "  -D, --dot                    generate a dependency graph\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "  -p, --property PROPERTY      print values of properties matching PROPERTY\n");
 
-	exit(1);
+	exit(status);
 }
 
 struct match_options {
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ ifquery_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'h':
-			ifquery_usage();
+			ifquery_usage(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 			break;
 		case 'V':
 			lif_common_version();
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ ifquery_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	/* --list --state is not allowed */
 	if (listing && listing_stat)
-		ifquery_usage();
+		ifquery_usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
 	if (listing)
 	{
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ ifquery_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	if (optind >= argc)
-		ifquery_usage();
+		ifquery_usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
 	int idx = optind;
 	for (; idx < argc; idx++)
diff --git a/cmd/ifupdown.c b/cmd/ifupdown.c
index 94259c1..9a9aada 100644
--- a/cmd/ifupdown.c
+++ b/cmd/ifupdown.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static struct lif_execute_opts exec_opts = {
 };
 
 void
-ifupdown_usage(void)
+ifupdown_usage(int status)
 {
 	fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [options] <interfaces>\n", argv0);
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ ifupdown_usage(void)
 	fprintf(stderr, "  -f, --force                  force (de)configuration\n");
 	fprintf(stderr, "  -L, --no-lock                do not use a lockfile to serialize state changes\n");
 
-	exit(1);
+	exit(status);
 }
 
 bool
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ ifupdown_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'h':
-			ifupdown_usage();
+			ifupdown_usage(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 			break;
 		case 'V':
 			lif_common_version();
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ ifupdown_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return EXIT_SUCCESS;
 	}
 	else if (optind >= argc)
-		ifupdown_usage();
+		ifupdown_usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
 	int idx = optind;
 	for (; idx < argc; idx++)
diff --git a/cmd/multicall.c b/cmd/multicall.c
index 0eff1bb..c6ae3d4 100644
--- a/cmd/multicall.c
+++ b/cmd/multicall.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ applet_cmp(const void *a, const void *b)
 	return strcmp(key, applet->name);
 }
 
-void multicall_usage(void) __attribute__((noreturn));
+void multicall_usage(int status) __attribute__((noreturn));
 
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (app == NULL)
 	{
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: applet not found\n", argv0);
-		multicall_usage();
+		multicall_usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
 
 	return (*app)->main(argc, argv);
@@ -69,13 +69,13 @@ int
 multicall_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	if (argc < 2)
-		multicall_usage();
+		multicall_usage(EXIT_FAILURE);
 
 	return main(argc - 1, argv + 1);
 }
 
 void
-multicall_usage(void)
+multicall_usage(int status)
 {
 	fprintf(stderr, "usage: ifupdown <applet> [options]\n");
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ multicall_usage(void)
 
 	fprintf(stderr, "\n");
 
-	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+	exit(status);
 }
 
 struct if_applet ifupdown_applet = {
diff --git a/cmd/multicall.h b/cmd/multicall.h
index 48bd1ea..6fb26a4 100644
--- a/cmd/multicall.h
+++ b/cmd/multicall.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 struct if_applet {
 	const char *name;
 	int (*const main)(int argc, char *argv[]);
-	void (*const usage)(void);
+	void (*const usage)(int status);
 };
 
 extern char *argv0;