diff --git a/rd-cli-tool/src/main/java/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCM.java b/rd-cli-tool/src/main/java/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCM.java
index 893e32f0..f013d4d0 100644
--- a/rd-cli-tool/src/main/java/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCM.java
+++ b/rd-cli-tool/src/main/java/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCM.java
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ static class FileOptions {
     }
 
     @CommandLine.Command(description = "Setup SCM Config for a Project")
-    public boolean setup(
+    public int setup(
             @CommandLine.Mixin BaseOpts opts,
             @CommandLine.Mixin TypeOptions typeOptions,
             @CommandLine.Mixin FileOptions fileOptions
@@ -151,14 +151,14 @@ public boolean setup(
                 "Setup config Validation for file: " + fileOptions.getFile().getAbsolutePath(),
                 getRdTool().getAppConfig().isAnsiEnabled()
         )) {
-            return false;
+            return 2;
         }
 
         //otherwise check other error codes and fail if necessary
         ScmActionResult result = getRdTool().getClient().checkError(response);
 
 
-        return outputScmActionResult(getRdOutput(), result, "Setup");
+        return outputScmActionResult(getRdOutput(), result, "Setup") ? 0 : 1;
     }
 
     private boolean outputScmActionResult(final CommandOutput output, final ScmActionResult result, final String name) {
diff --git a/rd-cli-tool/src/test/groovy/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCMSpec.groovy b/rd-cli-tool/src/test/groovy/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCMSpec.groovy
index 6dc91e27..eb5db499 100644
--- a/rd-cli-tool/src/test/groovy/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCMSpec.groovy
+++ b/rd-cli-tool/src/test/groovy/org/rundeck/client/tool/commands/projects/SCMSpec.groovy
@@ -391,4 +391,42 @@ class SCMSpec extends Specification {
 
         result==1
     }
+
+    @Unroll
+    def "setup exit code #expected for #desc"() {
+        given:
+        def api = Mock(RundeckApi)
+        def rdTool = setupMock(api)
+        def out = rdTool.getRdApp().getOutput()
+        def scm = new SCM()
+        scm.rdTool = rdTool
+        scm.rdOutput = out
+
+        def baseopts = new SCM.BaseOpts()
+        baseopts.project = 'aproject'
+        baseopts.integration = 'import'
+        def typeOpts = new SCM.TypeOptions(type: 'git-import')
+        def tempFile = File.createTempFile('scm-setup', '.json')
+        tempFile.deleteOnExit()
+        tempFile.text = '{"config":{}}'
+        def fileOpts = new SCM.FileOptions(file: tempFile)
+
+        when:
+        def result = scm.setup(baseopts, typeOpts, fileOpts)
+
+        then:
+        1 * api.setupScmConfig('aproject', 'import', 'git-import', _) >> response
+        result == expected
+
+        where:
+        desc               | expected | response
+        'success'          | 0        | Calls.response(new ScmActionResult(success: true))
+        'failure'          | 1        | Calls.response(new ScmActionResult(success: false))
+        'validation error' | 2        | Calls.response(
+                Response.error(400, ResponseBody.create(
+                        '{"message":"Error parsing JSON","success":false}',
+                        Client.MEDIA_TYPE_JSON
+                ))
+        )
+    }
 }