diff --git a/src/avr.c b/src/avr.c
index cad129fe..c0296764 100644
--- a/src/avr.c
+++ b/src/avr.c
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ int avr_read_mem(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p, const AVRMEM *mem, con
   if (mem_is_signature(mem)) {
     if (pgm->read_sig_bytes) {
       int rc = pgm->read_sig_bytes(pgm, p, mem);
-      if (rc < 0)
+      if (rc < 0 && rc != LIBAVRDUDE_EXIT)
         led_set(pgm, LED_ERR);
       led_clr(pgm, LED_PGM);
       return rc;
@@ -1236,13 +1236,13 @@ int avr_signature(const PROGRAMMER *pgm, const AVRPART *p) {
   if(verbose > 1)
     report_progress(0, 1, "Reading");
   rc = avr_read(pgm, p, "signature", 0);
-  if (rc < LIBAVRDUDE_SUCCESS) {
+  if (rc < LIBAVRDUDE_SUCCESS && rc != LIBAVRDUDE_EXIT) {
     pmsg_error("unable to read signature data for part %s, rc=%d\n", p->desc, rc);
     return rc;
   }
   report_progress(1, 1, NULL);
 
-  return LIBAVRDUDE_SUCCESS;
+  return rc < LIBAVRDUDE_SUCCESS? LIBAVRDUDE_EXIT: LIBAVRDUDE_SUCCESS;
 }