diff --git a/qapi/run-state.json b/qapi/run-state.json
index 6e2162d7b3..9273ea6516 100644
--- a/qapi/run-state.json
+++ b/qapi/run-state.json
@@ -364,10 +364,13 @@
 #
 # @shutdown: Shutdown the VM and exit, according to the shutdown action
 #
+# @exit-failure: Shutdown the VM and exit with nonzero status
+#                (since 7.1)
+#
 # Since: 6.0
 ##
 { 'enum': 'PanicAction',
-  'data': [ 'pause', 'shutdown', 'none' ] }
+  'data': [ 'pause', 'shutdown', 'exit-failure', 'none' ] }
 
 ##
 # @watchdog-set-action:
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 812f66a31a..31aa45160b 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ void qemu_boot_set(const char *boot_order, Error **errp);
 bool defaults_enabled(void);
 
 void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp);
-void qemu_main_loop(void);
+int qemu_main_loop(void);
 void qemu_cleanup(void);
 
 extern QemuOptsList qemu_legacy_drive_opts;
diff --git a/softmmu/main.c b/softmmu/main.c
index c00432ff09..1b675a8c03 100644
--- a/softmmu/main.c
+++ b/softmmu/main.c
@@ -32,11 +32,13 @@
 
 int qemu_main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 {
+    int status;
+
     qemu_init(argc, argv, envp);
-    qemu_main_loop();
+    status = qemu_main_loop();
     qemu_cleanup();
 
-    return 0;
+    return status;
 }
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_COCOA
diff --git a/softmmu/runstate.c b/softmmu/runstate.c
index 168e1b78a0..1e68680b9d 100644
--- a/softmmu/runstate.c
+++ b/softmmu/runstate.c
@@ -482,7 +482,8 @@ void qemu_system_guest_panicked(GuestPanicInformation *info)
         qapi_event_send_guest_panicked(GUEST_PANIC_ACTION_PAUSE,
                                         !!info, info);
         vm_stop(RUN_STATE_GUEST_PANICKED);
-    } else if (panic_action == PANIC_ACTION_SHUTDOWN) {
+    } else if (panic_action == PANIC_ACTION_SHUTDOWN ||
+               panic_action == PANIC_ACTION_EXIT_FAILURE) {
         qapi_event_send_guest_panicked(GUEST_PANIC_ACTION_POWEROFF,
                                        !!info, info);
         vm_stop(RUN_STATE_GUEST_PANICKED);
@@ -662,7 +663,7 @@ void qemu_system_debug_request(void)
     qemu_notify_event();
 }
 
-static bool main_loop_should_exit(void)
+static bool main_loop_should_exit(int *status)
 {
     RunState r;
     ShutdownCause request;
@@ -680,6 +681,10 @@ static bool main_loop_should_exit(void)
         if (shutdown_action == SHUTDOWN_ACTION_PAUSE) {
             vm_stop(RUN_STATE_SHUTDOWN);
         } else {
+            if (request == SHUTDOWN_CAUSE_GUEST_PANIC &&
+                panic_action == PANIC_ACTION_EXIT_FAILURE) {
+                *status = EXIT_FAILURE;
+            }
             return true;
         }
     }
@@ -715,12 +720,14 @@ static bool main_loop_should_exit(void)
     return false;
 }
 
-void qemu_main_loop(void)
+int qemu_main_loop(void)
 {
+    int status = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
     int64_t ti;
 #endif
-    while (!main_loop_should_exit()) {
+
+    while (!main_loop_should_exit(&status)) {
 #ifdef CONFIG_PROFILER
         ti = profile_getclock();
 #endif
@@ -729,6 +736,8 @@ void qemu_main_loop(void)
         dev_time += profile_getclock() - ti;
 #endif
     }
+
+    return status;
 }
 
 void qemu_add_exit_notifier(Notifier *notify)
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 79e00916a1..8e17c5064a 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -4239,7 +4239,7 @@ DEF("action", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_action,
     "                   action when guest reboots [default=reset]\n"
     "-action shutdown=poweroff|pause\n"
     "                   action when guest shuts down [default=poweroff]\n"
-    "-action panic=pause|shutdown|none\n"
+    "-action panic=pause|shutdown|exit-failure|none\n"
     "                   action when guest panics [default=shutdown]\n"
     "-action watchdog=reset|shutdown|poweroff|inject-nmi|pause|debug|none\n"
     "                   action when watchdog fires [default=reset]\n",
