diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_cmds.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_cmds.rs
index 663185a4a2..5fba00f5c9 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_cmds.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_cmds.rs
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ pub fn evaluate_commands(
 
         if let Some(err) = working_set.compile_errors.first() {
             report_compile_error(&working_set, err);
-            // Not a fatal error, for now
+            std::process::exit(1);
         }
 
         (output, working_set.render())
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
index 7636adc8d4..826b6c8eb5 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ pub fn evaluate_file(
 
     if let Some(err) = working_set.compile_errors.first() {
         report_compile_error(&working_set, err);
-        // Not a fatal error, for now
+        std::process::exit(1);
     }
 
     // Look for blocks whose name starts with "main" and replace it with the filename.
diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs
index 3e69657857..7b9d783534 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/util.rs
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ fn evaluate_source(
 
         if let Some(err) = working_set.compile_errors.first() {
             report_compile_error(&working_set, err);
-            // Not a fatal error, for now
+            return Ok(true);
         }
 
         (output, working_set.render())