diff --git a/command/agent/remote_exec.go b/command/agent/remote_exec.go
index 64fec4599a..e5022df9e0 100644
--- a/command/agent/remote_exec.go
+++ b/command/agent/remote_exec.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func (a *Agent) handleRemoteExec(msg *UserEvent) {
 
 	// Ensure we write out an exit code
 	exitCode := 0
-	defer a.remoteExecWriteExitCode(&event, exitCode)
+	defer a.remoteExecWriteExitCode(&event, &exitCode)
 
 	// Check if this is a script, we may need to spill to disk
 	var script string
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ func (a *Agent) handleRemoteExec(msg *UserEvent) {
 		err := cmd.Wait()
 		writer.Flush()
 		close(writer.BufCh)
-		if err != nil {
+		if err == nil {
 			exitCh <- 0
 			return
 		}
@@ -287,8 +287,8 @@ func (a *Agent) remoteExecWriteOutput(event *remoteExecEvent, num int, output []
 }
 
 // remoteExecWriteExitCode is used to write an exit code
-func (a *Agent) remoteExecWriteExitCode(event *remoteExecEvent, exitCode int) bool {
-	val := []byte(strconv.FormatInt(int64(exitCode), 10))
+func (a *Agent) remoteExecWriteExitCode(event *remoteExecEvent, exitCode *int) bool {
+	val := []byte(strconv.FormatInt(int64(*exitCode), 10))
 	if err := a.remoteExecWriteKey(event, remoteExecExitSuffix, val); err != nil {
 		a.logger.Printf("[ERR] agent: failed to write exit code for remote exec job: %v", err)
 		return false
diff --git a/command/agent/remote_exec_test.go b/command/agent/remote_exec_test.go
index d431b1f809..99722e6a02 100644
--- a/command/agent/remote_exec_test.go
+++ b/command/agent/remote_exec_test.go
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@ func TestRemoteExecWrites(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad")
 	}
 
-	if !agent.remoteExecWriteExitCode(event, 1) {
+	exitCode := 1
+	if !agent.remoteExecWriteExitCode(event, &exitCode) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad")
 	}
 
@@ -169,7 +170,9 @@ func TestRemoteExecWrites(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestHandleRemoteExec(t *testing.T) {
+
+
+func testHandleRemoteExec(t *testing.T, command string, expectedSubstring string, expectedReturnCode string) {
 	dir, agent := makeAgent(t, nextConfig())
 	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 	defer agent.Shutdown()
@@ -182,7 +185,7 @@ func TestHandleRemoteExec(t *testing.T) {
 	defer destroySession(t, agent, event.Session)
 
 	spec := &remoteExecSpec{
-		Command: "uptime",
+		Command: command,
 		Wait:    time.Second,
 	}
 	buf, err := json.Marshal(spec)
@@ -215,18 +218,26 @@ func TestHandleRemoteExec(t *testing.T) {
 	key = "_rexec/" + event.Session + "/" + agent.config.NodeName + "/out/00000"
 	d = getKV(t, agent, key)
 	if d == nil || d.Session != event.Session ||
-		!bytes.Contains(d.Value, []byte("load")) {
+		!bytes.Contains(d.Value, []byte(expectedSubstring)) {
 		t.Fatalf("bad output: %#v", d)
 	}
 
 	// Verify we have an exit code
 	key = "_rexec/" + event.Session + "/" + agent.config.NodeName + "/exit"
 	d = getKV(t, agent, key)
-	if d == nil || d.Session != event.Session || string(d.Value) != "0" {
+	if d == nil || d.Session != event.Session || string(d.Value) != expectedReturnCode {
 		t.Fatalf("bad output: %#v", d)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHandleRemoteExec(t *testing.T) {
+	testHandleRemoteExec(t, "uptime", "load", "0")
+}
+
+func TestHandleRemoteExecFailed(t *testing.T) {
+	testHandleRemoteExec(t, "echo failing;exit 2", "failing", "2")
+}
+
 func makeRexecSession(t *testing.T, agent *Agent) string {
 	args := structs.SessionRequest{
 		Datacenter: agent.config.Datacenter,