diff --git a/shinigami/cli.py b/shinigami/cli.py
index 6295057..ab6437c 100644
--- a/shinigami/cli.py
+++ b/shinigami/cli.py
@@ -26,10 +26,8 @@ def error(self, message: str) -> None:
 
         if len(sys.argv) == 1:
             self.print_help()
-            super().exit(1)
 
-        else:
-            super().error(message)
+        raise SystemExit(message)
 
 
 class Parser(BaseParser):
diff --git a/shinigami/utils.py b/shinigami/utils.py
index afac877..32f7ac6 100755
--- a/shinigami/utils.py
+++ b/shinigami/utils.py
@@ -87,15 +87,16 @@ async def terminate_errant_processes(
 
         # Identify orphaned processes and filter them by the UID whitelist
         orphaned = process_df[process_df.PPID == INIT_PROCESS_ID]
-        terminate = orphaned[orphaned['UID'].apply(id_in_whitelist, whitelist=uid_whitelist)]
+        whitelist_index = orphaned['UID'].apply(id_in_whitelist, whitelist=uid_whitelist)
+        to_terminate = orphaned[whitelist_index]
 
-        for _, row in terminate.iterrows():
+        for _, row in to_terminate.iterrows():
             logging.info(f'[{node}] Marking for termination {dict(row)}')
 
-        if terminate.empty:
+        if to_terminate.empty:
             logging.info(f'[{node}] no processes found')
 
         elif not debug:
-            proc_id_str = ','.join(terminate.PGID.unique().astype(str))
+            proc_id_str = ','.join(to_terminate.PGID.unique().astype(str))
             logging.info(f"[{node}] Sending termination signal for process groups {proc_id_str}")
             await conn.run(f"pkill --signal 9 --pgroup {proc_id_str}", check=True)
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_parser.py b/tests/cli/test_parser.py
index c3e4243..39a2f83 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_parser.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_parser.py
@@ -2,14 +2,26 @@
 
 from unittest import TestCase
 
-from shinigami.cli import Parser
+from shinigami.cli import Parser, BaseParser
 
 
-class ScanParser(TestCase):
+class BaseParsing(TestCase):
+    """Test custom parsing login encapsulated by the `BaseParser`  class"""
+
+    def test_error_handling(self) -> None:
+        """Test error messages are raised as `SystemExit` instances"""
+
+        parser = BaseParser()
+        error_message = "This is an error message"
+        with self.assertRaises(SystemExit, msg=error_message):
+            parser.error(error_message)
+
+
+class ScanSubParser(TestCase):
     """Test the behavior of the ``scan`` subparser"""
 
     def test_debug_option(self) -> None:
-        """Test the ``debug`` argument"""
+        """Test parsing of the ``debug`` argument"""
 
         parser = Parser()
 
@@ -84,8 +96,8 @@ def test_uid_whitelist_arg(self) -> None:
         self.assertSequenceEqual(mixed_out, parser.parse_args(mixed_command).uid_whitelist)
 
 
-class TerminateParser(TestCase):
-    """Test the behavior of the ``terminate`` subparser"""
+class TerminateSubParser(TestCase):
+    """Test parsing of the behavior of the ``terminate`` subparser"""
 
     def test_debug_option(self) -> None:
         """Test the ``debug`` argument"""