diff --git a/confluent_client/bin/noderun b/confluent_client/bin/noderun
index 81b036cd..29932baa 100755
--- a/confluent_client/bin/noderun
+++ b/confluent_client/bin/noderun
@@ -59,7 +59,10 @@ def run():
 
     for exp in c.create('/noderange/{0}/attributes/expression'.format(args[0]),
                         {'expression': cmdstr}):
-        ex = exp['databynode']
+        if 'error' in exp:
+            sys.stderr.write(exp['error'] + '\n')
+            exitcode |= exp.get('errorcode', 1)
+        ex = exp.get('databynode', ())
         for node in ex:
             cmd = ex[node]['value'].encode('utf-8')
             cmdv = shlex.split(cmd)
@@ -68,7 +71,8 @@ def run():
                 run_cmdv(node, cmdv, all, pipedesc)
             else:
                 pendingexecs.append((node, cmdv))
-
+    if not all or exitcode:
+        sys.exit(exitcode)
     exitcode = 0
     rdy, _, _ = select.select(all, [], [], 10)
     while all:
diff --git a/confluent_client/bin/nodeshell b/confluent_client/bin/nodeshell
index 40b78b78..f4d22488 100755
--- a/confluent_client/bin/nodeshell
+++ b/confluent_client/bin/nodeshell
@@ -72,9 +72,7 @@ def run():
                 run_cmdv(node, cmdv, all, pipedesc)
             else:
                 pendingexecs.append((node, cmdv))
-    if not all:
-        sys.exit(exitcode)
-    if exitcode:
+    if not all or exitcode
         sys.exit(exitcode)
     rdy, _, _ = select.select(all, [], [], 10)
     while all: