diff --git a/integration-tests/error-on-fail/error-on-fail.sh b/integration-tests/error-on-fail/error-on-fail.sh
index 137b5601..ee3b7635 100755
--- a/integration-tests/error-on-fail/error-on-fail.sh
+++ b/integration-tests/error-on-fail/error-on-fail.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ yarn add $1
 alias patch-package=./node_modules/.bin/patch-package
 
 export NODE_ENV="development"
-export CI=""
+export CI="true"
 
 (>&2 echo "SNAPSHOT: at dev time patch-package fails but returns 0")
 if ! patch-package;
diff --git a/integration-tests/runIntegrationTest.ts b/integration-tests/runIntegrationTest.ts
index 4b176cf8..7708a450 100644
--- a/integration-tests/runIntegrationTest.ts
+++ b/integration-tests/runIntegrationTest.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ export function runIntegrationTest({
       {
         cwd: tmpDir.name,
         throwOnError: false,
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          PATCH_PACKAGE_INTEGRATION_TEST: "1",
+        },
         shell: true,
       },
     )
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index cfede961..aaddf4f4 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -75,10 +75,12 @@ if (argv.version || argv.v) {
   } else {
     console.log("Applying patches...")
     const reverse = !!argv["reverse"]
-    // don't want to exit(1) on postinsall locally.
+    // don't want to exit(1) on postinstall locally.
     // see https://github.com/ds300/patch-package/issues/86
     const shouldExitWithError =
-      !!argv["error-on-fail"] || isCI || process.env.NODE_ENV === "test"
+      !!argv["error-on-fail"] ||
+      (isCI && !process.env.PATCH_PACKAGE_INTEGRATION_TEST) ||
+      process.env.NODE_ENV === "test"
 
     const shouldExitWithWarning = !!argv["error-on-warn"]