diff --git a/libexec/bats-exec b/libexec/bats-exec
index 25e9a13..1721fb9 100755
--- a/libexec/bats-exec
+++ b/libexec/bats-exec
@@ -66,10 +66,12 @@ bats_exit_trap() {
 bats_perform_tests() {
   echo "1..$#"
   test_number=1
+  status=0
   for test_name in "$@"; do
-    "$0" "$BATS_TEST_FILENAME" "$test_name" "$test_number" || true
+    "$0" "$BATS_TEST_FILENAME" "$test_name" "$test_number" || status=1
     test_number=$(($test_number + 1))
   done
+  exit "$status"
 }
 
 bats_perform_test() {
diff --git a/test/bats.bats b/test/bats.bats
index 1026158..8b9d42d 100755
--- a/test/bats.bats
+++ b/test/bats.bats
@@ -26,3 +26,10 @@ FIXTURE_ROOT="$BATS_TEST_DIRNAME/fixtures"
   [ ${lines[0]} = "1..1" ]
   [ ${lines[1]} = "ok 1 a passing test" ]
 }
+
+@test "one failing test" {
+  run bats "$FIXTURE_ROOT/one_failing.bats"
+  [ $status -eq 1 ]
+  [ ${lines[0]} = "1..1" ]
+  [ ${lines[1]} = "not ok 1 a failing test" ]
+}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/one_failing.bats b/test/fixtures/one_failing.bats
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e04302
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/one_failing.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+@test "a failing test" {
+  false
+}