diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
index 5ae10ee078..b4e6aa7ae3 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/eval_file.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::util::eval_source;
 use log::info;
 use log::trace;
 use miette::{IntoDiagnostic, Result};
-use nu_engine::eval_block_with_early_return;
+use nu_engine::eval_block;
 use nu_engine::{convert_env_values, current_dir};
 use nu_parser::parse;
 use nu_path::canonicalize_with;
@@ -126,14 +126,22 @@ pub fn evaluate_file(
     if engine_state.find_decl(b"main", &[]).is_some() {
         let args = format!("main {}", args.join(" "));
 
-        let pipeline_data = eval_block_with_early_return(
+        let pipeline_data = eval_block(
             engine_state,
             stack,
             &block,
             PipelineData::empty(),
             false,
             false,
-        )
+        );
+        let pipeline_data = match pipeline_data {
+            Err(ShellError::Return(_, _)) => {
+                // allows early exists before `main` is run.
+                return Ok(());
+            }
+
+            x => x,
+        }
         .unwrap_or_else(|e| {
             let working_set = StateWorkingSet::new(engine_state);
             report_error(&working_set, &e);
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/return_.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/return_.rs
index e5944dc5cd..f8fefeb8b6 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/return_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/return_.rs
@@ -23,3 +23,12 @@ fn return_works_in_script_without_def_main() {
 
     assert!(actual.err.is_empty());
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn return_works_in_script_with_def_main() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: "tests/fixtures/formats",
+        pipeline("nu early_return_outside_main.nu")
+    );
+    assert!(actual.err.is_empty());
+}
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/formats/early_return_outside_main.nu b/tests/fixtures/formats/early_return_outside_main.nu
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ff2bc3ea8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/formats/early_return_outside_main.nu
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+let y = 'not hiya'
+
+return
+
+def main [] {
+    error make {msg: "this should not show"}
+}