diff --git a/lib/exec_wrapper.js b/lib/exec_wrapper.js
index c5cc9f3ac..139e65577 100644
--- a/lib/exec_wrapper.js
+++ b/lib/exec_wrapper.js
@@ -50,28 +50,29 @@ async function exec_wrapper(commandLine, args, matchers, options) {
         }
     };
     // we capture the original return code and error so that (if no match is found) we can duplicate the behaviour
-    let originalReturnCode;
-    let originalError;
+    let originalReturnValue;
     try {
-        originalReturnCode = await exec.exec(commandLine, args, {
+        originalReturnValue = await exec.exec(commandLine, args, {
             listeners: listeners,
             ...options
         });
     }
     catch (e) {
-        originalError = e;
-        originalReturnCode = 1; // TODO linter insists, but presumably there's a better way to do _all_ this...
+        originalReturnValue = e;
     }
     if (matchers) {
         for (const [customCode, regex, message] of matchers) {
-            if (customCode === originalReturnCode || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout)) {
+            if (customCode === originalReturnValue || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout)) {
                 throw new Error(message);
             }
         }
     }
-    if (originalError)
-        throw originalError;
-    return originalReturnCode;
+    if (typeof originalReturnValue === 'number') {
+        return originalReturnValue;
+    }
+    else {
+        throw originalReturnValue;
+    }
 }
 exports.exec_wrapper = exec_wrapper;
 //# sourceMappingURL=exec_wrapper.js.map
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map b/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map
index 9992338cb..b3727083b 100644
--- a/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map
+++ b/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"version":3,"file":"exec_wrapper.js","sourceRoot":"","sources":["../src/exec_wrapper.ts"],"names":[],"mappings":";;;;;;;;;AAAA,oDAAsC;AAItC;;;;;;;;;;GAUG;AACI,KAAK,UAAU,YAAY,CAAC,WAAmB,EAAE,IAAe,EACpC,QAAqC,EACrC,OAAwB;;IAEzD,IAAI,MAAM,GAAG,EAAE,CAAC;IAChB,IAAI,MAAM,GAAG,EAAE,CAAC;IAEhB,4GAA4G;IAC5G,MAAM,gBAAgB,SAAG,OAAO,0CAAE,SAAS,CAAC;IAC5C,IAAI,SAAS,GAAG;QACd,MAAM,EAAE,CAAC,IAAY,EAAE,EAAE;;YACvB,MAAM,IAAI,IAAI,CAAC,QAAQ,EAAE,CAAC;YAC1B,IAAI,OAAA,gBAAgB,0CAAE,MAAM,MAAK,SAAS,EAAE;gBAC1C,gBAAgB,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC/B;iBAAM;gBACL,iFAAiF;gBACjF,OAAO,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC5B;QAEH,CAAC;QACD,MAAM,EAAE,CAAC,IAAY,EAAE,EAAE;;YACvB,MAAM,IAAI,IAAI,CAAC,QAAQ,EAAE,CAAC;YAC1B,IAAI,OAAA,gBAAgB,0CAAE,MAAM,MAAK,SAAS,EAAE;gBAC1C,gBAAgB,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC/B;iBAAM;gBACL,iFAAiF;gBACjF,OAAO,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC5B;QACH,CAAC;KACF,CAAC;IAEF,8GAA8G;IAC9G,IAAI,kBAA0B,CAAC;IAC/B,IAAI,aAA8B,CAAC;IACnC,IAAI;QACF,kBAAkB,GAAG,MAAM,IAAI,CAAC,IAAI,CAClC,WAAW,EACX,IAAI,EACJ;YACE,SAAS,EAAE,SAAS;YACpB,GAAG,OAAO;SACX,CAAC,CAAC;KACN;IAAC,OAAO,CAAC,EAAE;QACV,aAAa,GAAG,CAAC,CAAC;QAClB,kBAAkB,GAAG,CAAC,CAAC,CAAC,+EAA+E;KACxG;IAED,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;QACZ,KAAK,MAAM,CAAC,UAAU,EAAE,KAAK,EAAE,OAAO,CAAC,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;YACnD,IAAI,UAAU,KAAK,kBAAkB,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,EAAG;gBAClF,MAAM,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,OAAO,CAAC,CAAC;aAC1B;SACF;KACF;IAED,IAAI,aAAa;QAAE,MAAM,aAAa,CAAC;IACvC,OAAO,kBAAkB,CAAC;AAC5B,CAAC;AAzDD,oCAyDC"}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"version":3,"file":"exec_wrapper.js","sourceRoot":"","sources":["../src/exec_wrapper.ts"],"names":[],"mappings":";;;;;;;;;AAAA,oDAAsC;AAItC;;;;;;;;;;GAUG;AACI,KAAK,UAAU,YAAY,CAAC,WAAmB,EAAE,IAAe,EACpC,QAAqC,EACrC,OAAwB;;IAEzD,IAAI,MAAM,GAAG,EAAE,CAAC;IAChB,IAAI,MAAM,GAAG,EAAE,CAAC;IAEhB,4GAA4G;IAC5G,MAAM,gBAAgB,SAAG,OAAO,0CAAE,SAAS,CAAC;IAC5C,IAAI,SAAS,GAAG;QACd,MAAM,EAAE,CAAC,IAAY,EAAE,EAAE;;YACvB,MAAM,IAAI,IAAI,CAAC,QAAQ,EAAE,CAAC;YAC1B,IAAI,OAAA,gBAAgB,0CAAE,MAAM,MAAK,SAAS,EAAE;gBAC1C,gBAAgB,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC/B;iBAAM;gBACL,iFAAiF;gBACjF,OAAO,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC5B;QAEH,CAAC;QACD,MAAM,EAAE,CAAC,IAAY,EAAE,EAAE;;YACvB,MAAM,IAAI,IAAI,CAAC,QAAQ,EAAE,CAAC;YAC1B,IAAI,OAAA,gBAAgB,0CAAE,MAAM,MAAK,SAAS,EAAE;gBAC1C,gBAAgB,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC/B;iBAAM;gBACL,iFAAiF;gBACjF,OAAO,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC5B;QACH,CAAC;KACF,CAAC;IAEF,8GAA8G;IAC9G,IAAI,mBAAiC,CAAC;IACtC,IAAI;QACF,mBAAmB,GAAG,MAAM,IAAI,CAAC,IAAI,CACnC,WAAW,EACX,IAAI,EACJ;YACE,SAAS,EAAE,SAAS;YACpB,GAAG,OAAO;SACX,CAAC,CAAC;KACN;IAAC,OAAO,CAAC,EAAE;QACV,mBAAmB,GAAG,CAAC,CAAC;KACzB;IAED,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;QACZ,KAAK,MAAM,CAAC,UAAU,EAAE,KAAK,EAAE,OAAO,CAAC,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;YACnD,IAAI,UAAU,KAAK,mBAAmB,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,EAAG;gBACnF,MAAM,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,OAAO,CAAC,CAAC;aAC1B;SACF;KACF;IAED,IAAI,OAAO,mBAAmB,KAAK,QAAQ,EAAE;QAC3C,OAAO,mBAAmB,CAAC;KAC5B;SAAM;QACL,MAAM,mBAAmB,CAAC;KAC3B;AACH,CAAC;AA1DD,oCA0DC"}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/exec_wrapper.ts b/src/exec_wrapper.ts
index d565461af..c7f6d511c 100644
--- a/src/exec_wrapper.ts
+++ b/src/exec_wrapper.ts
@@ -45,10 +45,9 @@ export async function exec_wrapper(commandLine: string, args?: string[],
   };
 
   // we capture the original return code and error so that (if no match is found) we can duplicate the behaviour
-  let originalReturnCode: number;
-  let originalError: Error|undefined;
+  let originalReturnValue: Error|number;
   try {
-    originalReturnCode = await exec.exec(
+    originalReturnValue = await exec.exec(
       commandLine,
       args,
       {
@@ -56,18 +55,20 @@ export async function exec_wrapper(commandLine: string, args?: string[],
         ...options
       });
   } catch (e) {
-    originalError = e;
-    originalReturnCode = 1; // TODO linter insists, but presumably there's a better way to do _all_ this...
+    originalReturnValue = e;
   }
 
   if (matchers) {
     for (const [customCode, regex, message] of matchers) {
-      if (customCode === originalReturnCode || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout) ) {
+      if (customCode === originalReturnValue || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout) ) {
         throw new Error(message);
       }
     }
   }
 
-  if (originalError) throw originalError;
-  return originalReturnCode;
+  if (typeof originalReturnValue === 'number') {
+    return originalReturnValue;
+  } else {
+    throw originalReturnValue;
+  }
 }