diff --git a/tools/mkversion.c b/tools/mkversion.c
index 92b9fc9fc4d..75c251fbc24 100644
--- a/tools/mkversion.c
+++ b/tools/mkversion.c
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ static inline char *getfilepath(const char *name)
 static void show_usage(const char *progname)
 {
   fprintf(stderr, "USAGE: %s <abs path to .version>\n", progname);
-  exit(1);
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************
@@ -61,25 +60,29 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 {
   char *filepath;
   FILE *stream;
+  int ret = 0;
 
   if (argc != 2)
     {
       fprintf(stderr, "Unexpected number of arguments\n");
       show_usage(argv[0]);
+      exit(1);
     }
 
   filepath = getfilepath(argv[1]);
-  if (!filepath)
+  if (filepath == NULL)
     {
       fprintf(stderr, "getfilepath failed\n");
-      exit(2);
+      ret = 2;
+      goto exit;
     }
 
   stream = fopen(filepath, "r");
-  if (!stream)
+  if (stream == NULL)
     {
       fprintf(stderr, "open %s failed: %s\n", filepath, strerror(errno));
-      exit(3);
+      ret = 3;
+      goto exit;
     }
 
   printf("/* version.h -- Autogenerated! Do not edit. */\n\n");
@@ -92,8 +95,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
   printf("#endif /* __INCLUDE_NUTTX_VERSION_H */\n");
   fclose(stream);
 
-  /* Exit (without bothering to clean up allocations) */
-
+exit:
   free(filepath);
-  return 0;
+  return ret;
 }