diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyve.8 b/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyve.8
index 0543896b22f9..4aaa5ba451d3 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyve.8
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyve.8
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd Jul 05, 2018
+.Dd Jul 11, 2018
 .Dt BHYVE 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -520,6 +520,8 @@ powered off
 halted
 .It 3
 triple fault
+.It 4
+exited due to an error
 .El
 .Sh EXAMPLES
 If not using a boot ROM, the guest operating system must have been loaded with
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
index 1d16559936e5..f52f8b2b5819 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/bhyverun.c
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ fbsdrun_deletecpu(struct vmctx *ctx, int vcpu)
 
 	if (!CPU_ISSET(vcpu, &cpumask)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Attempting to delete unknown cpu %d\n", vcpu);
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	CPU_CLR_ATOMIC(vcpu, &cpumask);
@@ -742,7 +742,7 @@ vm_loop(struct vmctx *ctx, int vcpu, uint64_t startrip)
 		if (exitcode >= VM_EXITCODE_MAX || handler[exitcode] == NULL) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "vm_loop: unexpected exitcode 0x%x\n",
 			    exitcode);
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 
 		rc = (*handler[exitcode])(ctx, &vmexit[vcpu], &vcpu);
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ vm_loop(struct vmctx *ctx, int vcpu, uint64_t startrip)
 		case VMEXIT_ABORT:
 			abort();
 		default:
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 	}
 	fprintf(stderr, "vm_run error %d, errno %d\n", error, errno);
@@ -785,7 +785,7 @@ fbsdrun_set_capabilities(struct vmctx *ctx, int cpu)
 		err = vm_get_capability(ctx, cpu, VM_CAP_HALT_EXIT, &tmp);
 		if (err < 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "VM exit on HLT not supported\n");
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 		vm_set_capability(ctx, cpu, VM_CAP_HALT_EXIT, 1);
 		if (cpu == BSP)
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ fbsdrun_set_capabilities(struct vmctx *ctx, int cpu)
 		if (err < 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr,
 			    "SMP mux requested, no pause support\n");
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 		vm_set_capability(ctx, cpu, VM_CAP_PAUSE_EXIT, 1);
 		if (cpu == BSP)
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ fbsdrun_set_capabilities(struct vmctx *ctx, int cpu)
 
 	if (err) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to set x2apic state (%d)\n", err);
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	vm_set_capability(ctx, cpu, VM_CAP_ENABLE_INVPCID, 1);
@@ -850,7 +850,7 @@ do_open(const char *vmname)
 			}
 		} else {
 			perror("vm_create");
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 	} else {
 		if (!romboot) {
@@ -859,14 +859,14 @@ do_open(const char *vmname)
 			 * bootrom must be configured to boot it.
 			 */
 			fprintf(stderr, "virtual machine cannot be booted\n");
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 	}
 
 	ctx = vm_open(vmname);
 	if (ctx == NULL) {
 		perror("vm_open");
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 #ifndef WITHOUT_CAPSICUM
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ do_open(const char *vmname)
 		error = vm_reinit(ctx);
 		if (error) {
 			perror("vm_reinit");
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 	}
 	error = vm_set_topology(ctx, sockets, cores, threads, maxcpus);
@@ -967,7 +967,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			break;
 		case 's':
 			if (pci_parse_slot(optarg) != 0)
-				exit(1);
+				exit(4);
 			else
 				break;
 		case 'S':
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (guest_ncpus > max_vcpus) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "%d vCPUs requested but only %d available\n",
 			guest_ncpus, max_vcpus);
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	fbsdrun_set_capabilities(ctx, BSP);
@@ -1042,13 +1042,13 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	err = vm_setup_memory(ctx, memsize, VM_MMAP_ALL);
 	if (err) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to setup memory (%d)\n", errno);
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	error = init_msr();
 	if (error) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "init_msr error %d", error);
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	init_mem();
@@ -1063,8 +1063,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	/*
 	 * Exit if a device emulation finds an error in its initilization
 	 */
-	if (init_pci(ctx) != 0)
-		exit(1);
+	if (init_pci(ctx) != 0) {
+		perror("device emulation initialization error");
+		exit(4);
+	}
 
 	if (dbg_port != 0)
 		init_dbgport(dbg_port);
@@ -1079,7 +1081,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		if (vm_set_capability(ctx, BSP, VM_CAP_UNRESTRICTED_GUEST, 1)) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "ROM boot failed: unrestricted guest "
 			    "capability not available\n");
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 		error = vcpu_reset(ctx, BSP);
 		assert(error == 0);
@@ -1093,8 +1095,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 */
 	if (mptgen) {
 		error = mptable_build(ctx, guest_ncpus);
-		if (error)
-			exit(1);
+		if (error) {
+			perror("error to build the guest tables");
+			exit(4);
+		}
 	}
 
 	error = smbios_build(ctx);
@@ -1133,5 +1137,5 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 */
 	mevent_dispatch();
 
-	exit(1);
+	exit(4);
 }
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/dbgport.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/dbgport.c
index b64488f164ec..0d3e24484a0b 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/dbgport.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/dbgport.c
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ init_dbgport(int sport)
 	conn_fd = -1;
 
 	if ((listen_fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) < 0) {
-		perror("socket");
-		exit(1);
+		perror("cannot create socket");
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	sin.sin_len = sizeof(sin);
@@ -151,18 +151,18 @@ init_dbgport(int sport)
 	reuse = 1;
 	if (setsockopt(listen_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &reuse,
 	    sizeof(reuse)) < 0) {
-		perror("setsockopt");
-		exit(1);
+		perror("cannot set socket options");
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	if (bind(listen_fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sin, sizeof(sin)) < 0) {
-		perror("bind");
-		exit(1);
+		perror("cannot bind socket");
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	if (listen(listen_fd, 1) < 0) {
-		perror("listen");
-		exit(1);
+		perror("cannot listen socket");
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 #ifndef WITHOUT_CAPSICUM
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/fwctl.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/fwctl.c
index d9d1de66228f..00d6ef86813b 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/fwctl.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/fwctl.c
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ fwctl_request(uint32_t value)
 		/* Verify size */
 		if (value < 12) {
 			printf("msg size error");
-			exit(1);
+			exit(4);
 		}
 		rinfo.req_size = value;
 		rinfo.req_count = 1;
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/mevent_test.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/mevent_test.c
index 2cae7783f541..1a9c168da6de 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/mevent_test.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/mevent_test.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ echoer(void *param)
 	mev = mevent_add(fd, EVF_READ, echoer_callback, &sync);
 	if (mev == NULL) {
 		printf("Could not allocate echoer event\n");
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	while (!pthread_cond_wait(&sync.e_cond, &sync.e_mt)) {
@@ -200,8 +200,8 @@ acceptor(void *param)
 	static int first;
 
 	if ((s = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0)) < 0) {
-		perror("socket");
-		exit(1);
+		perror("cannot create socket");
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	sin.sin_len = sizeof(sin);
@@ -210,13 +210,13 @@ acceptor(void *param)
 	sin.sin_port = htons(TEST_PORT);
 
 	if (bind(s, (struct sockaddr *)&sin, sizeof(sin)) < 0) {
-		perror("bind");
-		exit(1);
+		perror("cannot bind socket");
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	if (listen(s, 1) < 0) {
-		perror("listen");
-		exit(1);
+		perror("cannot listen socket");
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	(void) mevent_add(s, EVF_READ, acceptor_callback, NULL);
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bhyve/pci_e82545.c b/usr.sbin/bhyve/pci_e82545.c
index 5a67390bb09a..c395a2936bb0 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bhyve/pci_e82545.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/bhyve/pci_e82545.c
@@ -2224,7 +2224,7 @@ e82545_open_tap(struct e82545_softc *sc, char *opts)
 	sc->esc_tapfd = open(tbuf, O_RDWR);
 	if (sc->esc_tapfd == -1) {
 		DPRINTF("unable to open tap device %s\n", opts);
-		exit(1);
+		exit(4);
 	}
 
 	/*