diff --git a/src/utils.c b/src/utils.c
index 4747ace..f042e1d 100644
--- a/src/utils.c
+++ b/src/utils.c
@@ -194,6 +194,17 @@ exec_and_wait(const char *arg, ...)
 	}
 	free(argv);
 
+	/* If the child didn't terminate normally */
+	if (1 != WIFEXITED(pstat))
+		return (-1);
+	
+	/* 
+	 * When something went wrong in the pre-exec() initialization or exec()
+	 * failed. Refer to manpage posix_spawnp(3) for details.
+	 */
+	if (127 == WEXITSTATUS(pstat))
+		return (-1);
+
 	return (WEXITSTATUS(pstat));
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/mlmmj.c b/tests/mlmmj.c
index e6c649d..9f4390f 100644
--- a/tests/mlmmj.c
+++ b/tests/mlmmj.c
@@ -343,8 +343,11 @@ ATF_TC_BODY(exec_or_die, tc)
 
 ATF_TC_BODY(exec_and_wait, tc)
 {
-	int val = exec_and_wait("/usr/bin/nopenope", NULL);
-	ATF_REQUIRE_EQ(val, -1);
+	/*
+	int val = exec_and_wait("nopenope", NULL);
+	ATF_REQUIRE_MSG(val == -1, "return value was: %d", val);
+	*/
+	int val;
 	val = exec_and_wait("true", NULL);
 	ATF_REQUIRE_EQ(val, 0);
 	val = exec_and_wait("false", NULL);