diff --git a/src/cli/link.rs b/src/cli/link.rs
index 9e55503..aa05edf 100644
--- a/src/cli/link.rs
+++ b/src/cli/link.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ pub enum Link {
         #[arg(long)]
         porcelain: bool,
 
-        /// Exit with 1 when anything is outside the store, for scripts
+        /// Exit with 4 when anything is outside the store, for scripts
         #[arg(long)]
         exit_code: bool,
 
diff --git a/src/commands/link/check.rs b/src/commands/link/check.rs
index 868b7d9..d3c3791 100644
--- a/src/commands/link/check.rs
+++ b/src/commands/link/check.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use fs_err::{read_dir, read_link};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
-use std::process::ExitCode;
 
 use anyhow::{Result, anyhow};
 
@@ -9,14 +8,14 @@ use crate::cmd::{Cmd, LsFiles};
 use crate::ctx::Ctx;
 use crate::output::{line, text};
 
+// whether anything is outside the store, which main turns into an exit code
 pub fn check(
     ctx: &Ctx,
     paths: &[PathBuf],
     porcelain: bool,
     null: bool,
-    exit_code: bool,
     store: Option<&Path>,
-) -> Result<ExitCode> {
+) -> Result<bool> {
     let repo = Repo::discover(ctx, store)?;
     let pathspecs = relative_pathspecs(&repo, paths)?;
 
@@ -43,19 +42,12 @@ pub fn check(
         print_listing(&repo, &exposed);
     }
 
-    // git's --exit-code convention: nothing to report is 0, anything is 1
-    if exit_code && !exposed.is_empty() {
-        return Ok(ExitCode::FAILURE);
-    }
-
-    Ok(ExitCode::SUCCESS)
+    Ok(!exposed.is_empty())
 }
 
 fn print_porcelain(exposed: &[Exposed], null: bool) {
     let end = if null { '\0' } else { '\n' };
-    // a filename can hold an arrow but not a NUL, so -z separates the two paths
-    // with one the way `git status -z` does for a rename. the two character code
-    // stays where it is: it cannot be mistaken for part of a path
+    // a filename can hold an arrow but not a NUL, as `git status -z` also assumes
     let between = if null { "\0" } else { " -> " };
 
     for item in exposed {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9a289c5..1ab7e53 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ use clap::Parser;
 use crate::ctx::Ctx;
 use crate::output::note;
 
+// 0 ran with nothing to report, 1 could not finish, 2 bad arguments, 4 found something
+const FINDINGS: u8 = 4;
+
 fn main() -> ExitCode {
     let args = cli::Ahab::parse();
 
@@ -87,14 +90,15 @@ fn run(ctx: &Ctx, command: cli::Commands) -> Result<ExitCode> {
                 null,
                 exit_code,
                 store,
-            } => commands::link::check(
-                ctx,
-                &paths,
-                porcelain,
-                null,
-                exit_code,
-                store.root.as_deref(),
-            ),
+            } => {
+                let exposed =
+                    commands::link::check(ctx, &paths, porcelain, null, store.root.as_deref())?;
+
+                match exit_code && exposed {
+                    true => Ok(ExitCode::from(FINDINGS)),
+                    false => Ok(done),
+                }
+            }
         },
         cli::Commands::Status { store } => {
             commands::status::status(ctx, store.root.as_deref())?;