diff --git a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/ApplicationLifecycleManager.java b/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/ApplicationLifecycleManager.java
index 1d5893b5ec6b45..c72424275bcc1c 100644
--- a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/ApplicationLifecycleManager.java
+++ b/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/ApplicationLifecycleManager.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ConfigurationException;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ProfileManager;
 import io.quarkus.runtime.graal.DiagnosticPrinter;
+import io.quarkus.runtime.util.ExceptionUtil;
 import sun.misc.Signal;
 import sun.misc.SignalHandler;
 
@@ -155,11 +156,8 @@ public static void run(Application application, Class<? extends QuarkusApplicati
                 }
             }
         } catch (Exception e) {
+            Throwable rootCause = ExceptionUtil.getRootCause(e);
             if (exitCodeHandler == null) {
-                Throwable rootCause = e;
-                while (rootCause.getCause() != null) {
-                    rootCause = rootCause.getCause();
-                }
                 Logger applicationLogger = Logger.getLogger(Application.class);
                 if (rootCause instanceof QuarkusBindException) {
                     List<Integer> ports = ((QuarkusBindException) rootCause).getPorts();
@@ -205,7 +203,10 @@ public static void run(Application application, Class<? extends QuarkusApplicati
                 stateLock.unlock();
             }
             application.stop();
-            (exitCodeHandler == null ? defaultExitCodeHandler : exitCodeHandler).accept(1, e);
+            int exceptionExitCode = rootCause instanceof PreventFurtherStepsException
+                    ? ((PreventFurtherStepsException) rootCause).getExitCode()
+                    : 1;
+            (exitCodeHandler == null ? defaultExitCodeHandler : exitCodeHandler).accept(exceptionExitCode, e);
             return;
         } finally {
             try {
diff --git a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/PreventFurtherStepsException.java b/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/PreventFurtherStepsException.java
index 3471863d82e858..7413ff02d794e9 100644
--- a/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/PreventFurtherStepsException.java
+++ b/core/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/runtime/PreventFurtherStepsException.java
@@ -7,4 +7,19 @@
  * for example in AppCDS generation.
  */
 public final class PreventFurtherStepsException extends RuntimeException {
+
+    private final int exitCode;
+
+    public PreventFurtherStepsException() {
+        this(1);
+    }
+
+    public PreventFurtherStepsException(int exitCode) {
+        super();
+        this.exitCode = exitCode;
+    }
+
+    public int getExitCode() {
+        return exitCode;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/extensions/flyway/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/flyway/runtime/FlywayRecorder.java b/extensions/flyway/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/flyway/runtime/FlywayRecorder.java
index 715734a84c52cc..89f748a6756b99 100644
--- a/extensions/flyway/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/flyway/runtime/FlywayRecorder.java
+++ b/extensions/flyway/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/flyway/runtime/FlywayRecorder.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public void doStartActions() {
 
         for (FlywayContainer flywayContainer : FLYWAY_CONTAINERS) {
             if (flywayContainer.isRunAndExit()) {
-                throw new PreventFurtherStepsException();
+                throw new PreventFurtherStepsException(0);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/extensions/liquibase/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/liquibase/runtime/LiquibaseRecorder.java b/extensions/liquibase/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/liquibase/runtime/LiquibaseRecorder.java
index 7176cbcdad9487..20b6745a97ab83 100644
--- a/extensions/liquibase/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/liquibase/runtime/LiquibaseRecorder.java
+++ b/extensions/liquibase/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/liquibase/runtime/LiquibaseRecorder.java
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public void doStartActions() {
                 LiquibaseFactory liquibaseFactory = liquibaseFactoryHandle.get();
                 var config = liquibaseFactory.getConfiguration();
                 if (config.runAndExit) {
-                    throw new PreventFurtherStepsException();
+                    throw new PreventFurtherStepsException(0);
                 }
 
             }