diff --git a/Documentation/git-remote.txt b/Documentation/git-remote.txt
index ea73386c81..31c29c9b31 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-remote.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-remote.txt
@@ -203,6 +203,17 @@ The remote configuration is achieved using the `remote.origin.url` and
 `remote.origin.fetch` configuration variables.  (See
 linkgit:git-config[1]).
 
+EXIT STATUS
+-----------
+
+On success, the exit status is `0`.
+
+When subcommands such as 'add', 'rename', and 'remove' can't find the
+remote in question, the exit status is `2`. When the remote already
+exists, the exit status is `3`.
+
+On any other error, the exit status may be any other non-zero value.
+
 EXAMPLES
 --------
 
diff --git a/builtin/remote.c b/builtin/remote.c
index 63f2b46c3d..c1b211b272 100644
--- a/builtin/remote.c
+++ b/builtin/remote.c
@@ -191,8 +191,10 @@ static int add(int argc, const char **argv)
 	url = argv[1];
 
 	remote = remote_get(name);
-	if (remote_is_configured(remote, 1))
-		die(_("remote %s already exists."), name);
+	if (remote_is_configured(remote, 1)) {
+		error(_("remote %s already exists."), name);
+		exit(3);
+	}
 
 	if (!valid_remote_name(name))
 		die(_("'%s' is not a valid remote name"), name);
@@ -685,15 +687,19 @@ static int mv(int argc, const char **argv)
 	rename.remote_branches = &remote_branches;
 
 	oldremote = remote_get(rename.old_name);
-	if (!remote_is_configured(oldremote, 1))
-		die(_("No such remote: '%s'"), rename.old_name);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(oldremote, 1)) {
+		error(_("No such remote: '%s'"), rename.old_name);
+		exit(2);
+	}
 
 	if (!strcmp(rename.old_name, rename.new_name) && oldremote->origin != REMOTE_CONFIG)
 		return migrate_file(oldremote);
 
 	newremote = remote_get(rename.new_name);
-	if (remote_is_configured(newremote, 1))
-		die(_("remote %s already exists."), rename.new_name);
+	if (remote_is_configured(newremote, 1)) {
+		error(_("remote %s already exists."), rename.new_name);
+		exit(3);
+	}
 
 	if (!valid_remote_name(rename.new_name))
 		die(_("'%s' is not a valid remote name"), rename.new_name);
@@ -826,8 +832,10 @@ static int rm(int argc, const char **argv)
 		usage_with_options(builtin_remote_rm_usage, options);
 
 	remote = remote_get(argv[1]);
-	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1))
-		die(_("No such remote: '%s'"), argv[1]);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1)) {
+		error(_("No such remote: '%s'"), argv[1]);
+		exit(2);
+	}
 
 	known_remotes.to_delete = remote;
 	for_each_remote(add_known_remote, &known_remotes);
@@ -1508,8 +1516,10 @@ static int set_remote_branches(const char *remotename, const char **branches,
 	strbuf_addf(&key, "remote.%s.fetch", remotename);
 
 	remote = remote_get(remotename);
-	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1))
-		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1)) {
+		error(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
+		exit(2);
+	}
 
 	if (!add_mode && remove_all_fetch_refspecs(key.buf)) {
 		strbuf_release(&key);
@@ -1562,8 +1572,10 @@ static int get_url(int argc, const char **argv)
 	remotename = argv[0];
 
 	remote = remote_get(remotename);
-	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1))
-		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1)) {
+		error(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
+		exit(2);
+	}
 
 	url_nr = 0;
 	if (push_mode) {
@@ -1630,8 +1642,10 @@ static int set_url(int argc, const char **argv)
 		oldurl = newurl;
 
 	remote = remote_get(remotename);
-	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1))
-		die(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
+	if (!remote_is_configured(remote, 1)) {
+		error(_("No such remote '%s'"), remotename);
+		exit(2);
+	}
 
 	if (push_mode) {
 		strbuf_addf(&name_buf, "remote.%s.pushurl", remotename);
diff --git a/t/t5505-remote.sh b/t/t5505-remote.sh
index 4b0de6cb83..eaa6e90220 100755
--- a/t/t5505-remote.sh
+++ b/t/t5505-remote.sh
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@ test_expect_success 'remove remote protects local branches' '
 test_expect_success 'remove errors out early when deleting non-existent branch' '
 	(
 		cd test &&
-		echo "fatal: No such remote: '\''foo'\''" >expect &&
-		test_must_fail git remote rm foo 2>actual &&
+		echo "error: No such remote: '\''foo'\''" >expect &&
+		test_expect_code 2 git remote rm foo 2>actual &&
 		test_i18ncmp expect actual
 	)
 '
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@ test_expect_success 'remove remote with a branch without configured merge' '
 test_expect_success 'rename errors out early when deleting non-existent branch' '
 	(
 		cd test &&
-		echo "fatal: No such remote: '\''foo'\''" >expect &&
-		test_must_fail git remote rename foo bar 2>actual &&
+		echo "error: No such remote: '\''foo'\''" >expect &&
+		test_expect_code 2 git remote rename foo bar 2>actual &&
 		test_i18ncmp expect actual
 	)
 '
@@ -188,16 +188,16 @@ test_expect_success 'rename errors out early when when new name is invalid' '
 
 test_expect_success 'add existing foreign_vcs remote' '
 	test_config remote.foo.vcs bar &&
-	echo "fatal: remote foo already exists." >expect &&
-	test_must_fail git remote add foo bar 2>actual &&
+	echo "error: remote foo already exists." >expect &&
+	test_expect_code 3 git remote add foo bar 2>actual &&
 	test_i18ncmp expect actual
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'add existing foreign_vcs remote' '
 	test_config remote.foo.vcs bar &&
 	test_config remote.bar.vcs bar &&
-	echo "fatal: remote bar already exists." >expect &&
-	test_must_fail git remote rename foo bar 2>actual &&
+	echo "error: remote bar already exists." >expect &&
+	test_expect_code 3 git remote rename foo bar 2>actual &&
 	test_i18ncmp expect actual
 '