diff --git a/.changeset/seven-seas-call.md b/.changeset/seven-seas-call.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eeb189875
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/seven-seas-call.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@effect-app/cli": patch
+---
+
+propagate exit code
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/index.ts
index 8613be89c..3cf3cc079 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -446,7 +446,10 @@ Effect
               : wrapOption.value
 
             yield* Effect.logInfo(`Spawning child command: ${val}`)
-            yield* runGetExitCode(val)
+            const exitCode = yield* runGetExitCode(val)
+            if (exitCode !== 0) {
+              return yield* Effect.sync(() => process.exit(exitCode))
+            }
           }
 
           return