diff --git a/lib/exec_wrapper.js b/lib/exec_wrapper.js
index ae0b47b2c..f698aab2d 100644
--- a/lib/exec_wrapper.js
+++ b/lib/exec_wrapper.js
@@ -23,55 +23,63 @@ async function exec_wrapper(commandLine, args, matchers, options) {
     var _a;
     let stdout = '';
     let stderr = '';
-    // custom listeners to store stdout and stderr, while also replicating the behaviour of the passed listeners
-    const originalListener = (_a = options) === null || _a === void 0 ? void 0 : _a.listeners;
     let listeners = {
         stdout: (data) => {
-            var _a;
+            var _a, _b;
             stdout += data.toString();
-            if (((_a = originalListener) === null || _a === void 0 ? void 0 : _a.stdout) !== undefined) {
-                originalListener.stdout(data);
+            if (((_b = (_a = options) === null || _a === void 0 ? void 0 : _a.listeners) === null || _b === void 0 ? void 0 : _b.stdout) !== undefined) {
+                options.listeners.stdout(data);
             }
             else {
-                // if no stdout listener was originally defined then match behaviour of exec.exec
+                // if no stdout listener was originally defined then we match default behavior of exec.exec
                 process.stdout.write(data);
             }
         },
         stderr: (data) => {
-            var _a;
+            var _a, _b;
             stderr += data.toString();
-            if (((_a = originalListener) === null || _a === void 0 ? void 0 : _a.stderr) !== undefined) {
-                originalListener.stderr(data);
+            if (((_b = (_a = options) === null || _a === void 0 ? void 0 : _a.listeners) === null || _b === void 0 ? void 0 : _b.stderr) !== undefined) {
+                options.listeners.stderr(data);
             }
             else {
-                // if no stderr listener was originally defined then match behaviour of exec.exec
+                // if no stderr listener was originally defined then we match default behavior of exec.exec
                 process.stderr.write(data);
             }
         }
     };
-    // we capture the original return code and error so that (if no match is found) we can duplicate the behaviour
-    let originalReturnValue;
+    // we capture the original return code or error so that if no match is found we can duplicate the behavior
+    let returnState;
     try {
-        originalReturnValue = await exec.exec(commandLine, args, {
+        returnState = await exec.exec(commandLine, args, {
+            ...options,
             listeners: listeners,
-            ...options
+            ignoreReturnCode: true,
         });
     }
     catch (e) {
-        originalReturnValue = e;
+        returnState = e;
     }
-    if (matchers && originalReturnValue !== 0) {
+    // if there is a zero return code then we do not apply the matchers
+    if (returnState === 0)
+        return returnState;
+    if (matchers) {
         for (const [customCode, regex, message] of matchers) {
-            if (customCode === originalReturnValue || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout)) {
+            if (customCode === returnState || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout)) {
                 throw new Error(message);
             }
         }
     }
-    if (typeof originalReturnValue === 'number') {
-        return originalReturnValue;
+    if (typeof returnState === 'number') {
+        // only if we were instructed to ignore the return code do we ever return it non-zero
+        if ((_a = options) === null || _a === void 0 ? void 0 : _a.ignoreReturnCode) {
+            return returnState;
+        }
+        else {
+            throw new Error(`The process \'${commandLine}\' failed with exit code ${returnState}`);
+        }
     }
     else {
-        throw originalReturnValue;
+        throw returnState;
     }
 }
 exports.exec_wrapper = exec_wrapper;
diff --git a/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map b/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map
index 355133215..60d0bec1d 100644
--- a/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map
+++ b/lib/exec_wrapper.js.map
@@ -1 +1 @@
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\ No newline at end of file
+{"version":3,"file":"exec_wrapper.js","sourceRoot":"","sources":["../src/exec_wrapper.ts"],"names":[],"mappings":";;;;;;;;;AAAA,oDAAsC;AAMtC;;;;;;;;;;GAUG;AACI,KAAK,UAAU,YAAY,CAAC,WAAmB,EAAE,IAAe,EACpC,QAAyB,EACzB,OAAwB;;IAEzD,IAAI,MAAM,GAAG,EAAE,CAAC;IAChB,IAAI,MAAM,GAAG,EAAE,CAAC;IAEhB,IAAI,SAAS,GAAG;QACd,MAAM,EAAE,CAAC,IAAY,EAAE,EAAE;;YACvB,MAAM,IAAI,IAAI,CAAC,QAAQ,EAAE,CAAC;YAC1B,IAAI,aAAA,OAAO,0CAAE,SAAS,0CAAE,MAAM,MAAK,SAAS,EAAE;gBAC5C,OAAO,CAAC,SAAS,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAChC;iBAAM;gBACL,2FAA2F;gBAC3F,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,aAAA,OAAO,0CAAE,SAAS,0CAAE,MAAM,MAAK,SAAS,EAAE;gBAC5C,OAAO,CAAC,SAAS,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAChC;iBAAM;gBACL,2FAA2F;gBAC3F,OAAO,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,CAAC;aAC5B;QACH,CAAC;KACF,CAAC;IAEF,0GAA0G;IAC1G,IAAI,WAAyB,CAAC;IAC9B,IAAI;QACF,WAAW,GAAG,MAAM,IAAI,CAAC,IAAI,CAC3B,WAAW,EACX,IAAI,EACJ;YACE,GAAG,OAAO;YACV,SAAS,EAAE,SAAS;YACpB,gBAAgB,EAAE,IAAI;SACvB,CAAC,CAAC;KACN;IAAC,OAAO,CAAC,EAAE;QACV,WAAW,GAAG,CAAC,CAAC;KACjB;IAED,mEAAmE;IACnE,IAAI,WAAW,KAAK,CAAC;QAAE,OAAO,WAAW,CAAC;IAE1C,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;QACZ,KAAK,MAAM,CAAC,UAAU,EAAE,KAAK,EAAE,OAAO,CAAC,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;YACnD,IAAI,UAAU,KAAK,WAAW,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,IAAI,CAAC,MAAM,CAAC,EAAG;gBAC3E,MAAM,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,OAAO,CAAC,CAAC;aAC1B;SACF;KACF;IAED,IAAI,OAAO,WAAW,KAAK,QAAQ,EAAE;QACnC,qFAAqF;QACrF,UAAI,OAAO,0CAAE,gBAAgB,EAAE;YAC7B,OAAO,WAAW,CAAC;SACpB;aAAM;YACL,MAAM,IAAI,KAAK,CAAC,iBAAiB,WAAW,4BAA4B,WAAW,EAAE,CAAC,CAAC;SACxF;KACF;SAAM;QACL,MAAM,WAAW,CAAC;KACnB;AACH,CAAC;AAjED,oCAiEC"}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/exec_wrapper.ts b/src/exec_wrapper.ts
index b928c826c..b9a70e7c4 100644
--- a/src/exec_wrapper.ts
+++ b/src/exec_wrapper.ts
@@ -22,55 +22,62 @@ export async function exec_wrapper(commandLine: string, args?: string[],
   let stdout = '';
   let stderr = '';
 
-  // custom listeners to store stdout and stderr, while also replicating the behaviour of the passed listeners
-  const originalListener = options?.listeners;
   let listeners = {
     stdout: (data: Buffer) => {
       stdout += data.toString();
-      if (originalListener?.stdout !== undefined) {
-        originalListener.stdout(data);
+      if (options?.listeners?.stdout !== undefined) {
+        options.listeners.stdout(data);
       } else {
-        // if no stdout listener was originally defined then match behaviour of exec.exec
+        // if no stdout listener was originally defined then we match default behavior of exec.exec
         process.stdout.write(data);
       }
 
     },
     stderr: (data: Buffer) => {
       stderr += data.toString();
-      if (originalListener?.stderr !== undefined) {
-        originalListener.stderr(data);
+      if (options?.listeners?.stderr !== undefined) {
+        options.listeners.stderr(data);
       } else {
-        // if no stderr listener was originally defined then match behaviour of exec.exec
+        // if no stderr listener was originally defined then we match default behavior of exec.exec
         process.stderr.write(data);
       }
     }
   };
 
-  // we capture the original return code and error so that (if no match is found) we can duplicate the behaviour
-  let originalReturnValue: Error|number;
+  // we capture the original return code or error so that if no match is found we can duplicate the behavior
+  let returnState: Error|number;
   try {
-    originalReturnValue = await exec.exec(
+    returnState = await exec.exec(
       commandLine,
       args,
       {
+        ...options, // pass original options first in order to override below
         listeners: listeners,
-        ...options
+        ignoreReturnCode: true, // so we can check for specific codes using the matchers
       });
   } catch (e) {
-    originalReturnValue = e;
+    returnState = e;
   }
 
-  if (matchers && originalReturnValue !== 0) {
+  // if there is a zero return code then we do not apply the matchers
+  if (returnState === 0) return returnState;
+
+  if (matchers) {
     for (const [customCode, regex, message] of matchers) {
-      if (customCode === originalReturnValue || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout) ) {
+      if (customCode === returnState || regex.test(stderr) || regex.test(stdout) ) {
         throw new Error(message);
       }
     }
   }
 
-  if (typeof originalReturnValue === 'number') {
-    return originalReturnValue;
+  if (typeof returnState === 'number') {
+    // only if we were instructed to ignore the return code do we ever return it non-zero
+    if (options?.ignoreReturnCode) {
+      return returnState;
+    } else {
+      throw new Error(`The process \'${commandLine}\' failed with exit code ${returnState}`);
+    }
   } else {
-    throw originalReturnValue;
+    throw returnState;
   }
 }