diff --git a/doc/toolbox-run.1.md b/doc/toolbox-run.1.md
index e0dc098e1..d6eda8f6d 100644
--- a/doc/toolbox-run.1.md
+++ b/doc/toolbox-run.1.md
@@ -42,6 +42,39 @@ matches the host system.
 Run command inside a toolbox container for a different operating system
 RELEASE than the host.
 
+## EXIT STATUS
+
+The exit code gives information about why the command within the container
+failed to run or why it exited.
+
+**125** There was an internal error in Podman
+
+**126** The run command could not be invoked
+
+```
+$ toolbox run /etc; echo $?
+/bin/sh: line 1: /etc: Is a directory
+/bin/sh: line 1: exec: /etc: cannot execute: Is a directory
+Error: failed to invoke command /etc in container fedora-toolbox-35
+126
+```
+
+**127** The run command cannot be found or the working directory does not exist
+
+```
+$ toolbox run foo; echo $?
+/bin/sh: line 1: exec: foo: not found
+Error: command foo not found in container fedora-toolbox-35
+127
+```
+
+**Exit code** The run command exit code
+
+```
+$ toolbox run false; echo $?
+1
+```
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Run ls inside a toolbox container using the default image matching the host OS
diff --git a/src/cmd/root.go b/src/cmd/root.go
index ad0753b8c..195046a95 100644
--- a/src/cmd/root.go
+++ b/src/cmd/root.go
@@ -61,8 +61,29 @@ var (
 	workingDirectory string
 )
 
+type exitError struct {
+	Code int
+	err  error
+}
+
+func (e *exitError) Error() string {
+	if e.err != nil {
+		return e.err.Error()
+	} else {
+		return ""
+	}
+}
+
 func Execute() {
 	if err := rootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
+		var errExit *exitError
+		if errors.As(err, &errExit) {
+			if errExit.err != nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error: %s\n", errExit)
+			}
+			os.Exit(errExit.Code)
+		}
+
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/root_test.go b/src/cmd/root_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d98474fc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/root_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2022 Ondřej Míchal
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func getExitError(err error, rc int) error {
+	return &exitError{rc, err}
+}
+
+func TestExitError(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("correct error interface implementation", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var err error = &exitError{0, nil}
+		assert.Implements(t, (*error)(nil), err)
+	})
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name string
+		err  error
+		rc   int
+	}{
+		{
+			"errmsg empty; return code 0; casting from Error",
+			nil,
+			0,
+		},
+		{
+			"errmsg empty; return code > 0; casting from Error",
+			nil,
+			42,
+		},
+		{
+			"errmsg full; return code 0; casting from Error",
+			errors.New("this is an error message"),
+			0,
+		},
+		{
+			"errmsg full; return code > 0; casting from Error",
+			errors.New("this is an error message"),
+			42,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		err := getExitError(tc.err, tc.rc)
+		var errExit *exitError
+
+		assert.ErrorAs(t, err, &errExit)
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.rc, errExit.Code)
+		if tc.err != nil {
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.err.Error(), errExit.Error())
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/cmd/run.go b/src/cmd/run.go
index c01389e3b..0e7937d61 100644
--- a/src/cmd/run.go
+++ b/src/cmd/run.go
@@ -143,6 +143,15 @@ func run(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		false,
 		false,
 		true); err != nil {
+		// runCommand returns exitError for the executed commands to properly
+		// propagate return codes. Cobra prints all non-nil errors which in
+		// that case is not desirable. In that scenario silence the errors and
+		// leave the error handling to the root command.
+		var errExit *exitError
+		if errors.As(err, &errExit) {
+			cmd.SilenceErrors = true
+		}
+
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -322,9 +331,9 @@ func runCommandWithFallbacks(container string, command []string, emitEscapeSeque
 			}
 			return nil
 		case 125:
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to invoke 'podman exec' in container %s", container)
+			return &exitError{exitCode, fmt.Errorf("failed to invoke 'podman exec' in container %s", container)}
 		case 126:
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to invoke command %s in container %s", command[0], container)
+			return &exitError{exitCode, fmt.Errorf("failed to invoke command %s in container %s", command[0], container)}
 		case 127:
 			if pathPresent, _ := isPathPresent(container, workDir); !pathPresent {
 				if runFallbackWorkDirsIndex < len(runFallbackWorkDirs) {
@@ -341,7 +350,7 @@ func runCommandWithFallbacks(container string, command []string, emitEscapeSeque
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Using %s instead.\n", workDir)
 					runFallbackWorkDirsIndex++
 				} else {
-					return fmt.Errorf("directory %s not found in container %s", workDir, container)
+					return &exitError{exitCode, fmt.Errorf("directory %s not found in container %s", workDir, container)}
 				}
 			} else if _, err := isCommandPresent(container, command[0]); err != nil {
 				if fallbackToBash && runFallbackCommandsIndex < len(runFallbackCommands) {
@@ -355,13 +364,13 @@ func runCommandWithFallbacks(container string, command []string, emitEscapeSeque
 
 					runFallbackCommandsIndex++
 				} else {
-					return fmt.Errorf("command %s not found in container %s", command[0], container)
+					return &exitError{exitCode, fmt.Errorf("command %s not found in container %s", command[0], container)}
 				}
 			} else {
 				return nil
 			}
 		default:
-			return nil
+			return &exitError{exitCode, nil}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/test/system/104-run.bats b/test/system/104-run.bats
index e4574a699..7f2f14995 100644
--- a/test/system/104-run.bats
+++ b/test/system/104-run.bats
@@ -83,3 +83,52 @@ teardown() {
   assert_success
   assert_output --partial "uid=0(root)"
 }
+
+@test "run: Run command exiting with zero code in the default container" {
+  local cmd="/bin/sh -c 'exit 0'"
+
+  create_default_container
+
+  run $TOOLBOX run $cmd
+
+  assert_success
+  assert_output ""
+}
+
+@test "run: Run command exiting with non-zero code in the default container" {
+  local cmd="/bin/sh -c 'exit 2'"
+
+  create_default_container
+
+  run $TOOLBOX run $cmd
+  assert_failure
+  assert [ $status -eq 2 ]
+  assert_output ""
+}
+
+@test "run: Try to run non-existent command in the default container" {
+  local cmd="non-existent-command"
+
+  create_default_container
+
+  run $TOOLBOX run $cmd
+
+  assert_failure
+  assert [ $status -eq 127 ]
+  assert_output "/bin/sh: line1: exec: $cmd: not found
+Error: command $cmd not found in container $(get_latest_container_name)"
+}
+
+@test "run: Try to run /etc as a command in the deault container" {
+  local cmd="/etc"
+
+  create_default_container
+
+  run $TOOLBOX run $cmd
+
+  assert_failure
+  assert [ $status -eq 126 ]
+  assert_output "/bin/sh: line 1: /etc: Is a directory
+/bin/sh: line 1: exec: /etc: cannot execute: Is a directory
+Error: failed to invoke command /etc in container $(get_latest_container_name)"
+}
diff --git a/test/system/libs/helpers.bash b/test/system/libs/helpers.bash
index 41084bfdd..53dc90c4e 100644
--- a/test/system/libs/helpers.bash
+++ b/test/system/libs/helpers.bash
@@ -276,6 +276,12 @@ function stop_container() {
 }
 
 
+# Returns the name of the latest created container
+function get_latest_container_name() {
+  $PODMAN ps -l --format "{{ .Names }}"
+}
+
+
 function list_images() {
   $PODMAN images --all --quiet | wc -l
 }