diff --git a/sway/commands/exec_always.c b/sway/commands/exec_always.c
index f631d7d8..1d95dc96 100644
--- a/sway/commands/exec_always.c
+++ b/sway/commands/exec_always.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "stringop.h"
 
-
 struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_always(int argc, char **argv) {
 	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
 	if (!config->active) return cmd_results_new(CMD_DEFER, NULL, NULL);
@@ -63,8 +62,7 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_always(int argc, char **argv) {
 				size_t n = confstr(_CS_PATH, NULL, 0);
 				path = malloc(n + extra_size);
 				if (!path) {
-					wlr_log(L_ERROR, "exec_always: Unable to allocate PATH");
-					exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+					return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "exec_always", "Unable to allocate PATH");
 				}
 				confstr(_CS_PATH, path, n);
 
@@ -72,8 +70,7 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_always(int argc, char **argv) {
 				size_t n = strlen(path) + 1;
 				char *tmp = malloc(n + extra_size);
 				if (!tmp) {
-					wlr_log(L_ERROR, "exec_always: Unable to allocate PATH");
-					exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+					return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "exec_always", "Unable to allocate PATH");
 				}
 
 				strncpy(tmp, path, n);
@@ -84,8 +81,7 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_always(int argc, char **argv) {
 			strcat(path, extra_path);
 			if (setenv("PATH", path, 1) == -1) {
 				free(path);
-				wlr_log(L_ERROR, "exec_always: Unable to set PATH");
-				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+				return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "exec_always", "Unable to set PATH");
 			}
 			free(path);