diff --git a/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp b/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp
index adcd48696..65731ed08 100644
--- a/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp
@@ -2108,7 +2108,7 @@ bool CheckBufferOverrun::analyseWholeProgram(const std::list<Check::FileInfo*> &
             errors = true;
         }
     }
-    return errors;
+    return errors && errorLogger.hasErrors();
 }
 
 unsigned int CheckBufferOverrun::sizeOfType(const Token *type) const
diff --git a/lib/checkuninitvar.cpp b/lib/checkuninitvar.cpp
index cb4e0c2c2..61d4f1556 100644
--- a/lib/checkuninitvar.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkuninitvar.cpp
@@ -1606,6 +1606,5 @@ bool CheckUninitVar::analyseWholeProgram(const std::list<Check::FileInfo*> &file
         }
     }
 
-    return foundErrors;
+    return foundErrors && errorLogger.hasErrors();
 }
-
diff --git a/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp b/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp
index 030487c86..a0bbf1e0c 100644
--- a/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkunusedfunctions.cpp
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ bool CheckUnusedFunctions::check(ErrorLogger * const errorLogger, const Settings
             */
         }
     }
-    return errors;
+    return errors && errorLogger->hasErrors();
 }
 
 void CheckUnusedFunctions::unusedFunctionError(ErrorLogger * const errorLogger,
diff --git a/lib/cppcheck.h b/lib/cppcheck.h
index 4758e1a57..74cca27f4 100644
--- a/lib/cppcheck.h
+++ b/lib/cppcheck.h
@@ -191,6 +191,8 @@ private:
      */
     virtual void reportErr(const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage &msg);
 
+    virtual bool hasErrors() const { return exitcode > 0; }
+
     /**
      * @brief Information about progress is directed here.
      *
diff --git a/lib/errorlogger.h b/lib/errorlogger.h
index a778a91d2..8d7c20cbc 100644
--- a/lib/errorlogger.h
+++ b/lib/errorlogger.h
@@ -331,6 +331,12 @@ public:
      */
     virtual void reportErr(const ErrorLogger::ErrorMessage &msg) = 0;
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if an error has been reported which should
+     * cause a non-zero cppcheck exit code.
+     */
+    virtual bool hasErrors() const { return false; }
+
     /**
      * Report progress to client
      * @param filename main file that is checked
diff --git a/test/testunusedfunctions.cpp b/test/testunusedfunctions.cpp
index 275ce089b..4cc1862c4 100644
--- a/test/testunusedfunctions.cpp
+++ b/test/testunusedfunctions.cpp
@@ -77,11 +77,7 @@ private:
         // Check for unused functions..
         CheckUnusedFunctions checkUnusedFunctions(&tokenizer, &settings, this);
         checkUnusedFunctions.parseTokens(tokenizer,  "someFile.c", &settings);
-        // check() returns error if and only if errout is not empty.
-        if (checkUnusedFunctions.check(this, settings))
-            ASSERT(errout.str() != "");
-        else
-            ASSERT_EQUALS("", errout.str());
+        ASSERT(!checkUnusedFunctions.check(this, settings));
     }
 
     void incondition() {