diff --git a/barbican/cmd/barbican_manage.py b/barbican/cmd/barbican_manage.py
index cd1e432fa..d2ecfb0a3 100644
--- a/barbican/cmd/barbican_manage.py
+++ b/barbican/cmd/barbican_manage.py
@@ -447,7 +447,8 @@ def main():
     try:
         return fn(CONF, *fn_args, **fn_kwargs)
     except Exception as e:
-        sys.exit("ERROR: %s" % e)
+        sys.stderr.write("ERROR: {0}\n".format(e))
+        sys.exit(1)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/barbican/cmd/keystone_listener.py b/barbican/cmd/keystone_listener.py
index b6c25716d..70649ee77 100644
--- a/barbican/cmd/keystone_listener.py
+++ b/barbican/cmd/keystone_listener.py
@@ -54,11 +54,6 @@ from oslo_log import log
 from oslo_service import service
 
 
-def fail(returncode, e):
-    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: {0}\n".format(e))
-    sys.exit(returncode)
-
-
 def main():
     try:
         config.setup_remote_pydev_debug()
@@ -85,7 +80,8 @@ def main():
         else:
             LOG.info("Exiting as Barbican Keystone listener is not enabled...")
     except RuntimeError as e:
-        fail(1, e)
+        sys.stderr.write("ERROR: {0}\n".format(e))
+        sys.exit(1)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/barbican/cmd/retry_scheduler.py b/barbican/cmd/retry_scheduler.py
index edfc93f6a..10e8efee5 100644
--- a/barbican/cmd/retry_scheduler.py
+++ b/barbican/cmd/retry_scheduler.py
@@ -51,11 +51,6 @@ from oslo_log import log
 from oslo_service import service
 
 
-def fail(returncode, e):
-    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: {0}\n".format(e))
-    sys.exit(returncode)
-
-
 def main():
     try:
         CONF = config.CONF
@@ -76,7 +71,8 @@ def main():
             restart_method='mutate'
         ).wait()
     except RuntimeError as e:
-        fail(1, e)
+        sys.stderr.write("ERROR: {0}\n".format(e))
+        sys.exit(1)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/barbican/cmd/worker.py b/barbican/cmd/worker.py
index 59a6449ff..b28ddc0df 100644
--- a/barbican/cmd/worker.py
+++ b/barbican/cmd/worker.py
@@ -51,11 +51,6 @@ from oslo_log import log
 from oslo_service import service
 
 
-def fail(returncode, e):
-    sys.stderr.write("ERROR: {0}\n".format(e))
-    sys.exit(returncode)
-
-
 def main():
     try:
         CONF = config.CONF
@@ -77,7 +72,8 @@ def main():
             restart_method='mutate'
         ).wait()
     except RuntimeError as e:
-        fail(1, e)
+        sys.stderr.write("ERROR: {0}\n".format(e))
+        sys.exit(1)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':