diff --git a/Utils.hs b/Utils.hs
index 83435bd80..b36c90642 100644
--- a/Utils.hs
+++ b/Utils.hs
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ withLedgerDo opts args cmdname cmd = do
   t <- getCurrentLocalTime
   tc <- getClockTime
   let go = cmd opts args . filterAndCacheLedgerWithOpts opts args t rawtext . (\rl -> rl{filepath=f,filereadtime=tc})
-  if creating then go rawLedgerEmpty else (runErrorT . parseLedgerFile t) f >>= either (hPutStrLn stderr) go
+  if creating then go rawLedgerEmpty else (runErrorT . parseLedgerFile t) f
+         >>= flip either go
+                 (\e -> hPutStrLn stderr e >> exitWith (ExitFailure 1))
 
 -- | Get a Ledger from the given string and options, or raise an error.
 ledgerFromStringWithOpts :: [Opt] -> [String] -> LocalTime -> String -> IO Ledger
diff --git a/tests/unbalanced.test b/tests/unbalanced.test
index a677b0b45..84084a821 100644
--- a/tests/unbalanced.test
+++ b/tests/unbalanced.test
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# shouldn't exit code be 1 ?
 -f - register
 <<<
 2009/1/1 a
@@ -9,8 +8,8 @@
 unexpected end of input
 could not balance this transaction, amounts do not add up to zero:
 2009/01/01 a
-    b                                            1.1
-    c                                             -1
+    b           1.1
+    c            -1
 
 
->>>= 0
+>>>= 1