diff --git a/run_tests.py b/run_tests.py
index 5bef5170a..b7e6b8b2c 100755
--- a/run_tests.py
+++ b/run_tests.py
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
             my_script))
     print(
         "Note: long testing requires nose and coverage, which are easily installed by `pip install`")
-    sys.exit(0)
+    sys.exit(1)
 
 print("start testing. Go to ./tests folder")
 os.chdir("./tests/")
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
     os.system("python ./run_simple_test.py")
     print('\nHAPPY COMPUTING')
     print(art)
-    sys.exit(0)
+    sys.exit(1)
 else:
     if with_coverage:
         os.system("{bin}/nosetests --with-coverage --cover-package pytraj -vs .".format(bin=bin))
diff --git a/scripts/base_setup.py b/scripts/base_setup.py
index 76825a347..7a0b05cbc 100644
--- a/scripts/base_setup.py
+++ b/scripts/base_setup.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def check_cpptraj_version(header_dir, version=(4, 2, 9)):
         int_version = tuple(int(i) for i in line.split()[-1].strip('"').replace('V', '').split('.'))
         if int_version < version:
             sys.stderr.write('must have cpptraj version >= {}\n'.format(version))
-            sys.exit(0)
+            sys.exit(1)
 
 
 def remind_export_LD_LIBRARY_PATH(build_tag, libdir, pytraj_inside_amber):
@@ -287,11 +287,11 @@ def try_updating_libcpptraj(cpptraj_home,
                 except CalledProcessError:
                     print(
                         'can not install libcpptraj, you need to install it manually \n')
-                    sys.exit(0)
+                    sys.exit(1)
             else:
                 print('can not find libcpptraj in $CPPTRAJHOME/lib. '
                                  'You need to install ``libcpptraj`` manually. ')
-                sys.exit(0)
+                sys.exit(1)
 
 
 def add_openmp_flag(disable_openmp,
@@ -339,10 +339,10 @@ def check_cython(ISRELEASED, cmdclass, min_version='0.21'):
             cmdclass['build_ext'] = build_ext
             if Cython.__version__ < min_version:
                 print(message_cython)
-                sys.exit(0)
+                sys.exit(1)
         except ImportError:
             print(message_cython)
-            sys.exit(0)
+            sys.exit(1)
     return need_cython, cmdclass, cythonize
 
 
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ def get_include_and_lib_dir(rootname, cpptrajhome, has_cpptraj_in_current_folder
                 except CalledProcessError:
                     print(
                         'can not install libcpptraj, you need to install it manually \n')
-                    sys.exit(0)
+                    sys.exit(1)
             cpptraj_dir = os.path.join(rootname, "cpptraj")
             cpptraj_include = os.path.join(cpptraj_dir, 'src')
             libdir = os.path.join(cpptraj_dir, 'lib')
diff --git a/scripts/cythonize.py b/scripts/cythonize.py
index 2feb01dc1..e26ff5c3d 100755
--- a/scripts/cythonize.py
+++ b/scripts/cythonize.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 if Cython.__version__ < '0.21':
     sys.stderr.write('require cython version >=0.21')
-    sys.exit(0)
+    sys.exit(1)
 
 DEBUG = False
 
diff --git a/scripts/find_lib.py b/scripts/find_lib.py
index 1e94e08d2..3a4c48436 100644
--- a/scripts/find_lib.py
+++ b/scripts/find_lib.py
@@ -59,6 +59,6 @@ def find_lib(libname, unique=True):
     import sys
 
     if len(sys.argv) == 1:
-        sys.exit(0)
+        sys.exit(1)
 
     print(find_lib(sys.argv[1]))
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index be0b8f1e8..ea69a4c53 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 # python version >= 2.6
 if sys.version_info < (2, 6):
     print('You must have at least Python 2.6 for pytraj\n')
-    sys.exit(0)
+    sys.exit(1)
 
 amber_release = check_flag('--amber_release')
 disable_openmp = check_flag('--disable-openmp')
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ def read(fname):
         output_openmp_check = subprocess.check_output(['nm', libcpptraj_files[0]]).decode().split('\n')
     except IndexError:
         print("Warning:  It seems that there is no libcpptraj. Please install it")
-        sys.exit(0)
+        sys.exit(1)
 
     libcpptraj_has_openmp = ([line for line in output_openmp_check if 'omp_get_num_threads' in line.lower()]  != [])
     if libcpptraj_has_openmp and sys.platform == 'darwin':