diff --git a/bin/compose-core b/bin/compose-core
index d28e19e..5a317a7 100755
--- a/bin/compose-core
+++ b/bin/compose-core
@@ -720,7 +720,7 @@ export -f set_db_params
 
 export _PID="$$"
 ensure_db_docker_running () {
-    local _STATE_FILE
+    local _STATE_FILE errlvl
 
     _DB_NAME="db_${DB_NAME}_${_PID}"
     _STATE_FILE="$state_tmpdir/${_DB_NAME}.state"
@@ -1891,6 +1891,7 @@ export -f logstderr
 
 _run_service_relation () {
     local relation_name="$1" service="$2" target_service="$3" relation_config="$4" relation_dir services
+    local errlvl
 
     charm=$(get_service_charm "$service") || return 1
     target_charm=$(get_service_charm "$target_service") || return 1
@@ -2269,7 +2270,7 @@ export -f _get_services_provides
 
 
 _get_charm_provides() {
-    local cache_file="$CACHEDIR/$FUNCNAME.cache.$(charm.store_metadata_hash)"
+    local cache_file="$CACHEDIR/$FUNCNAME.cache.$(charm.store_metadata_hash)" errlvl
     if [ -e "$cache_file" ]; then
         #debug "$FUNCNAME: SESSION cache hit"
         cat "$cache_file"
@@ -2810,7 +2811,7 @@ export -f has_service_action
 
 
 run_service_action () {
-    local service="$1" action="$2"
+    local service="$1" action="$2" errlvl
     shift ; shift
     exec 6<&0   ## saving stdin
     {
@@ -2821,9 +2822,12 @@ run_service_action () {
         fi
 
         "_run_service_action_${action_type}" "$service" "$action" "$@"
+        errlvl="$?"
+
     } < <(has_service_action "$service" "$action")
 
     exec 0<&6 6<&-  ## restoring stdin
+    return "$errlvl"
 }
 export -f run_service_action
 
@@ -4213,6 +4217,7 @@ export SERVICE_PACK="${services_args[*]}"
 ## Docker-compose
 ##
 
+errlvl="0"
 case "$action" in
     up|start|stop|build|run)
         ## force daemon mode for up
@@ -4259,6 +4264,7 @@ case "$action" in
     *)
         if [ "$is_service_action" ]; then
             run_service_action "$SERVICE_PACK" "$action" "${remainder_args[@]}"
+            errlvl="$?"
         else
             launch_docker_compose "${compose_opts[@]}" "$action" "${action_opts[@]}" "${action_posargs[@]}" "${remainder_args[@]}"
         fi
@@ -4276,4 +4282,6 @@ if [ "$action" == "run" -a "${#services_args}" != 0 ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-clean_unused_docker_compose || return 1
+clean_unused_docker_compose || exit 1
+
+exit "$errlvl"
\ No newline at end of file