diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 840b3bdfb9..2c6aae4c1b 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2002-05-30  John Levon  <moz@compsoc.man.ac.uk>
+
+	* lyx_main.C:
+	* buffer.h:
+	* buffer.C: fix command line crash and give useful
+	  exit status on some errors
+ 
 2002-05-24  Juergen Vigna  <jug@sad.it>
 
 	* undo_funcs.C (textHandleUndo): fix the cursor selection after
diff --git a/src/buffer.C b/src/buffer.C
index 0f8d2601f0..6075470655 100644
--- a/src/buffer.C
+++ b/src/buffer.C
@@ -3883,24 +3883,28 @@ void Buffer::markDepClean(string const & name)
 }
 
 
-bool Buffer::dispatch(string const & command)
+bool Buffer::dispatch(string const & command, bool * result)
 {
 	// Split command string into command and argument
 	string cmd;
 	string line = frontStrip(command);
 	string const arg = strip(frontStrip(split(line, cmd, ' ')));
 
-	return dispatch(lyxaction.LookupFunc(cmd), arg);
+	return dispatch(lyxaction.LookupFunc(cmd), arg, result);
 }
 
 
-bool Buffer::dispatch(int action, string const & argument)
+bool Buffer::dispatch(int action, string const & argument, bool * result)
 {
 	bool dispatched = true;
+ 
 	switch (action) {
-		case LFUN_EXPORT:
-			Exporter::Export(this, argument, false);
+		case LFUN_EXPORT: {
+			bool const tmp = Exporter::Export(this, argument, false);
+			if (result)
+				*result = tmp;
 			break;
+		}
 
 		default:
 			dispatched = false;
diff --git a/src/buffer.h b/src/buffer.h
index f18e03e6f8..da4f4131c1 100644
--- a/src/buffer.h
+++ b/src/buffer.h
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ public:
 	/** High-level interface to buffer functionality.
 	    This function parses a command string and executes it
 	*/
-	bool dispatch(string const & command);
+	bool dispatch(string const & command, bool * result = 0);
 
 	/// Maybe we know the function already by number...
-	bool dispatch(int ac, string const & argument);
+	bool dispatch(int ac, string const & argument, bool * result = 0);
 
 	///
 	void resizeInsets(BufferView *);
diff --git a/src/lyx_main.C b/src/lyx_main.C
index 7f8e5bb0ba..8061a2e6b7 100644
--- a/src/lyx_main.C
+++ b/src/lyx_main.C
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ LyX::LyX(int * argc, char * argv[])
 			lyxerr << _("Wrong command line option `")
 			       << argv[argi]
 			       << _("'. Exiting.") << endl;
-			exit(0);
+			exit(1);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -154,15 +154,16 @@ LyX::LyX(int * argc, char * argv[])
 		if (!last_loaded)
 			last_loaded = bufferlist.newFile("tmpfile", string());
 
+		bool success = false;
+ 
 		// try to dispatch to last loaded buffer first
-		bool dispatched	= last_loaded->dispatch(batch_command);
+		bool dispatched	= last_loaded->dispatch(batch_command, &success);
 
 		// if this was successful, return.
 		// Maybe we could do something more clever than aborting...
 		if (dispatched) {
-			lyxerr << "We are done!" << endl;
 			QuitLyX();
-			return;
+			exit(!success);
 		}
 
 		// otherwise, let the GUI handle the batch command
@@ -835,7 +836,7 @@ bool LyX::easyParse(int * argc, char * argv[])
 				lyxerr << _("List of supported debug flags:")
 				       << endl;
 				Debug::showTags(lyxerr);
-				exit(0);
+				exit(1);
 			}
 		}
 		// Check for "-sysdir"
@@ -846,7 +847,7 @@ bool LyX::easyParse(int * argc, char * argv[])
 			} else {
 				lyxerr << _("Missing directory for -sysdir switch!")
 				       << endl;
-				exit(0);
+				exit(1);
 			}
 		}
 		// Check for "-userdir"
@@ -857,7 +858,7 @@ bool LyX::easyParse(int * argc, char * argv[])
 			} else {
 				lyxerr << _("Missing directory for -userdir switch!")
 				       << endl;
-				exit(0);
+				exit(1);
 			}
 		}
 		// Check for --help or -help
@@ -870,6 +871,7 @@ bool LyX::easyParse(int * argc, char * argv[])
 			commandLineVersionInfo();
 			exit(0);
 		}
+		// FIXME: why is this commented out ? 
 		// Check for "-nw": No XWindows as for emacs this should
 		// give a LyX that could be used in a terminal window.
 		//else if (arg == "-nw") {
@@ -886,7 +888,8 @@ bool LyX::easyParse(int * argc, char * argv[])
 				lyxerr << _("Missing command string after  -x switch!") << endl;
 
 			// Argh. Setting gui to false segfaults..
-			//gui = false;
+			// FIXME: when ? how ? 
+			// gui = false;
 		}
 
 		else if (arg == "-e" || arg == "--export") {
@@ -895,25 +898,34 @@ bool LyX::easyParse(int * argc, char * argv[])
 				removeargs = 2;
 				batch_command = "buffer-export " + type;
 				gui = false;
-			} else
+			} else {
 				lyxerr << _("Missing file type [eg latex, "
 					    "ps...] after ")
 				       << arg << _(" switch!") << endl;
+				exit(1);
+			}
 		}
 		else if (arg == "-i" || arg == "--import") {
 			if (i + 1 < *argc) {
-				string const type(argv[i+1]);
+				if (!argv[i+2]) {
+					lyxerr << _("Missing filename for --import") << endl;
+					exit(1);
+				}
+ 
 				string const file(argv[i+2]);
+				string const type(argv[i+1]);
 				removeargs = 3;
-
+ 
 				batch_command = "buffer-import " + type + " " + file;
 				lyxerr << "batch_command: "
 				       << batch_command << endl;
 
-			} else
+			} else {
 				lyxerr << _("Missing type [eg latex, "
 					    "ps...] after ")
 				       << arg << _(" switch!") << endl;
+				exit(1);
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (removeargs > 0) {