diff --git a/packages/insomnia-app/app/common/electron-helpers.ts b/packages/insomnia-app/app/common/electron-helpers.ts
index 81ef7b7788..b91fdcaa53 100644
--- a/packages/insomnia-app/app/common/electron-helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/insomnia-app/app/common/electron-helpers.ts
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ export function restartApp() {
   app.exit();
 }
 
-export const exitApp = () => {
+export const exitAppFailure = () => {
   const { app } = electron.remote || electron;
-  app.exit();
+  app.exit(1);
 };
 
 export const setMenuBarVisibility = (visible: boolean) => {
diff --git a/packages/insomnia-app/app/main.development.ts b/packages/insomnia-app/app/main.development.ts
index 42ac6f9672..c564cefdae 100644
--- a/packages/insomnia-app/app/main.development.ts
+++ b/packages/insomnia-app/app/main.development.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import appConfig from '../config/config.json';
 import { trackNonInteractiveEventQueueable } from './common/analytics';
 import { changelogUrl, getAppVersion, isDevelopment, isMac } from './common/constants';
 import { database } from './common/database';
-import { disableSpellcheckerDownload, exitApp } from './common/electron-helpers';
+import { disableSpellcheckerDownload, exitAppFailure } from './common/electron-helpers';
 import log, { initializeLogging } from './common/log';
 import { validateInsomniaConfig } from './common/validate-insomnia-config';
 import * as errorHandling from './main/error-handling';
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ app.on('ready', async () => {
   if (error) {
     electron.dialog.showErrorBox(error.title, error.message);
     console.log('[config] Insomnia config is invalid, preventing app initialization');
-    exitApp();
+    exitAppFailure();
     return;
   }