shelljs
diff --git a/‎src/cmd.js
Lines changed: 19 additions & 11 deletions b/‎src/cmd.js
Lines changed: 19 additions & 11 deletions
diff --git a/‎test/cmd.js
Lines changed: 8 additions & 0 deletions b/‎test/cmd.js
Lines changed: 8 additions & 0 deletions
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ function isNullOrUndefined(val) {
   return val === null || val === undefined;
 }
 
-function commandNotFound(execaResult) {
+function isCommandNotFound(execaResult) {
   if (process.platform === 'win32') {
     var str = 'is not recognized as an internal or external command';
     return execaResult.code && execaResult.stderr.includes(str);
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ function commandNotFound(execaResult) {
   }
 }
 
+function isExecaInternalError(result) {
+  if (typeof result.stdout !== 'string') return true;
+  if (typeof result.stderr !== 'string') return true;
+  if (typeof result.code !== 'number') return true;
+  if (result.code === 0 && result.failed) return true;
+  // Otherwise assume this executed correctly. The command may still have exited
+  // with non-zero status, but that's not due to anything execa did.
+  return false;
+}
+
 //@
 //@ ### cmd(arg1[, arg2, ...] [, options])
 //@
@@ -110,26 +120,24 @@ function _cmd(options, command, commandArgs, userOptions) {
   var stdout;
   var stderr;
   var code;
-  if (commandNotFound(result)) {
+  if (isCommandNotFound(result)) {
     // This can happen if `command` is not an executable binary, or possibly
     // under other conditions.
     stdout = '';
     stderr = "'" + command + "': command not found";
     code = COMMAND_NOT_FOUND_ERROR_CODE;
-  } else if (typeof result.stdout === 'string' &&
-             typeof result.stderr === 'string' &&
-             typeof result.code === 'number') {
-    // Normal exit: execa was able to execute `command` and get a return value.
-    stdout = result.stdout.toString();
-    stderr = result.stderr.toString();
-    code = result.code;
-  } else {
+  } else if (isExecaInternalError(result)) {
     // Catch-all: execa tried to run `command` but it encountered some error
     // (ex. maxBuffer, timeout).
     stdout = result.stdout || '';
     stderr = result.stderr ||
              `'${command}' encountered an error during execution`;
-    code = result.code > 0 ? result.code : 1;
+    code = typeof result.code === 'number' && result.code > 0 ? result.code : 1;
+  } else {
+    // Normal exit: execa was able to execute `command` and get a return value.
+    stdout = result.stdout.toString();
+    stderr = result.stderr.toString();
+    code = result.code;
   }
 
   // Pass `continue: true` so we can specify a value for stdout.
 
@@ -177,6 +177,14 @@ test('set cwd', t => {
   t.is(result.stdout, path.resolve('..') + '\n');
 });
 
+test('command fails silently with non-zero status', t => {
+  const result = shell.cmd('shx', 'false');
+  t.truthy(shell.error());
+  t.is(result.code, 1);
+  t.is(result.stdout, '');
+  t.is(result.stderr, '');
+});
+
 test('set maxBuffer (very small)', t => {
   let result = shell.cmd('shx', 'echo', '1234567890'); // default maxBuffer is ok
   t.falsy(shell.error());