diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d366211..0e1f033 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
-project(fun VERSION 0.21.3 LANGUAGES C)
+project(fun VERSION 0.21.4 LANGUAGES C)
 
 set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 11)
 set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
diff --git a/examples/exit_example.fun b/examples/exit_example.fun
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a43f1dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/exit_example.fun
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env fun
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://hanez.org/project/fun/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2025 Johannes Findeisen <you@hanez.org>
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2025-10-04
+ */
+
+/* Demonstrate exiting a Fun script with a specific exit code
+ * Run:
+ *   fun examples/exit_example.fun
+ * Then in your shell, check the code with: echo $?
+ */
+
+/* exit with code 7 */
+exit 7
diff --git a/src/bytecode.h b/src/bytecode.h
index 30a7e3f..c40f07b 100644
--- a/src/bytecode.h
+++ b/src/bytecode.h
@@ -157,7 +157,10 @@ typedef enum {
     OP_SOCK_RECV,          // pops maxlen, fd; returns data string ("" on EOF/error)
     OP_SOCK_CLOSE,         // pops fd; returns 1/0
     OP_SOCK_UNIX_LISTEN,   // pops backlog, path; returns listen fd (>0) or 0
-    OP_SOCK_UNIX_CONNECT   // pops path; returns fd (>0) or 0
+    OP_SOCK_UNIX_CONNECT,  // pops path; returns fd (>0) or 0
+
+    // process control
+    OP_EXIT                // pops code (or uses operand) and terminates script with exit code
 } OpCode;
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/src/fun.c b/src/fun.c
index 40f7d86..7d3d2cd 100644
--- a/src/fun.c
+++ b/src/fun.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         vm_print_output(&vm);
         vm_clear_output(&vm);
         bytecode_free(bc);
-        return 0;
+        return vm.exit_code;
     }
 
 #ifdef FUN_WITH_REPL
diff --git a/src/parser.c b/src/parser.c
index f3edbf5..86efa72 100644
--- a/src/parser.c
+++ b/src/parser.c
@@ -2070,6 +2070,25 @@ static void parse_simple_statement(Bytecode *bc, const char *src, size_t len, si
             return;
         }
 
+        /* exit statement: exit [expr]? */
+        if (strcmp(name, "exit") == 0) {
+            free(name);
+            skip_spaces(src, len, &local_pos);
+            size_t save_pos = local_pos;
+            if (emit_expression(bc, src, len, &local_pos)) {
+                /* expression result already on stack */
+            } else {
+                /* default exit code 0 */
+                local_pos = save_pos;
+                int ci = bytecode_add_constant(bc, make_int(0));
+                bytecode_add_instruction(bc, OP_LOAD_CONST, ci);
+            }
+            bytecode_add_instruction(bc, OP_EXIT, 0);
+            *pos = local_pos;
+            skip_to_eol(src, len, pos);
+            return;
+        }
+
         /* break / continue */
         if (strcmp(name, "break") == 0) {
             free(name);
diff --git a/src/vm.c b/src/vm.c
index b805a9d..a074024 100644
--- a/src/vm.c
+++ b/src/vm.c
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ void vm_reset(VM *vm) {
     }
     // Clear output buffer
     vm_clear_output(vm);
+    // Reset exit code
+    vm->exit_code = 0;
 }
 
 void vm_dump_globals(VM *vm) {
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@ void vm_init(VM *vm) {
     vm->fp = -1;
     vm->output_count = 0;
     vm->instr_count = 0;
+    vm->exit_code = 0;
     for (int i = 0; i < MAX_GLOBALS; ++i)
         vm->globals[i] = make_nil();
 }
@@ -280,6 +283,7 @@ void vm_run(VM *vm, Bytecode *entry) {
             #include "vm/core/call.c"
             #include "vm/core/dup.c"
             #include "vm/core/halt.c"
+            #include "vm/core/exit.c"
             #include "vm/core/jump.c"
             #include "vm/core/jump_if_false.c"
             #include "vm/core/load_const.c"
diff --git a/src/vm.h b/src/vm.h
index 952761a..f406521 100644
--- a/src/vm.h
+++ b/src/vm.h
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ static const char *opcode_names[] = {
     "THREAD_SPAWN","THREAD_JOIN","SLEEP_MS",
     "BAND","BOR","BXOR","BNOT","SHL","SHR","ROTL","ROTR",
     "PCSC_ESTABLISH","PCSC_RELEASE","PCSC_LIST_READERS","PCSC_CONNECT","PCSC_DISCONNECT","PCSC_TRANSMIT",
-    "SOCK_TCP_LISTEN","SOCK_TCP_ACCEPT","SOCK_TCP_CONNECT","SOCK_SEND","SOCK_RECV","SOCK_CLOSE","SOCK_UNIX_LISTEN","SOCK_UNIX_CONNECT"
+    "SOCK_TCP_LISTEN","SOCK_TCP_ACCEPT","SOCK_TCP_CONNECT","SOCK_SEND","SOCK_RECV","SOCK_CLOSE","SOCK_UNIX_LISTEN","SOCK_UNIX_CONNECT",
+    "EXIT"
 };
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -63,6 +64,8 @@ typedef struct {
     long long instr_count; // executed instructions in the last vm_run
 
     int current_line; // last executed source line (debug)
+
+    int exit_code; // process exit code set by OP_EXIT
 } VM;
 
 // initialize VM (zero state)
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ void vm_dump_globals(VM *vm);
 void vm_run(VM *vm, Bytecode *entry);
 
 static inline int opcode_is_valid(int op) {
-    return op >= OP_NOP && op <= OP_SOCK_UNIX_CONNECT;  // all current opcodes
+    return op >= OP_NOP && op <= OP_EXIT;  // all current opcodes
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/vm/core/exit.c b/src/vm/core/exit.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d919a4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vm/core/exit.c
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/**
+ * This file is part of the Fun programming language.
+ * https://hanez.org/project/fun/
+ *
+ * Copyright 2025 Johannes Findeisen <you@hanez.org>
+ * Licensed under the terms of the Apache-2.0 license.
+ * https://opensource.org/license/apache-2-0
+ *
+ * Added: 2025-10-04
+ */
+
+/**
+* @file exit.c
+ * @brief Implements the OP_EXIT opcode to terminate the script with an exit code.
+ *
+ * Behavior:
+ * - Pops a value from the stack (if available) and converts it to an integer exit code.
+ * - Sets vm->exit_code.
+ * - Stops the VM execution immediately (returns from vm_run).
+ */
+
+case OP_EXIT: {
+    int code = 0;
+    if (vm->sp >= 0) {
+        Value v = pop_value(vm);
+        if (v.type == VAL_INT) {
+            code = (int)v.i;
+        } else if (v.type == VAL_STRING) {
+            /* best-effort parse number from string */
+            code = (int)strtoll(v.s, NULL, 10);
+        } else if (v.type == VAL_NIL) {
+            code = 0;
+        } else {
+            /* unsupported type for exit; default to 0 */
+            code = 0;
+        }
+        free_value(v);
+    }
+    vm->exit_code = code;
+    return;
+}