diff --git a/pkg/cmd/migrate/migrate.go b/pkg/cmd/migrate/migrate.go
index 474a2957f0..632c77850f 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/migrate/migrate.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/migrate/migrate.go
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ func NewMigrateCommand(programName string) *cobra.Command {
 		Short:   "execute datastore schema migrations",
 		Long:    fmt.Sprintf("Executes datastore schema migrations for the datastore.\nThe special value \"%s\" can be used to migrate to the latest revision.", color.YellowString(migrate.Head)),
 		PreRunE: cmdutil.DefaultPreRunE(programName),
-		Run:     migrateRun,
+		RunE:    migrateRun,
 		Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(1),
 	}
 }
 
-func migrateRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+func migrateRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	datastoreEngine := cobrautil.MustGetStringExpanded(cmd, "datastore-engine")
 	dbURL := cobrautil.MustGetStringExpanded(cmd, "datastore-conn-uri")
 
@@ -64,8 +64,10 @@ func migrateRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("unable to complete requested migrations")
 		}
 	} else {
-		log.Fatal().Str("datastore-engine", datastoreEngine).Msg("cannot migrate datastore engine type")
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot migrate datastore engine type: %s", datastoreEngine)
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func RegisterHeadFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
@@ -77,12 +79,12 @@ func NewHeadCommand(programName string) *cobra.Command {
 		Use:     "head",
 		Short:   "compute the head database migration revision",
 		PreRunE: cmdutil.DefaultPreRunE(programName),
-		Run:     headRevisionRun,
+		RunE:    headRevisionRun,
 		Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(0),
 	}
 }
 
-func headRevisionRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+func headRevisionRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	var (
 		engine       = cobrautil.MustGetStringExpanded(cmd, "datastore-engine")
 		headRevision string
@@ -95,11 +97,12 @@ func headRevisionRun(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	case "postgres":
 		headRevision, err = migrations.DatabaseMigrations.HeadRevision()
 	default:
-		log.Fatal().Str("engine", engine).Msg("cannot migrate datastore engine type")
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot migrate datastore engine type: %s", engine)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("unable to compute head revision")
 	}
 
 	fmt.Println(headRevision)
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/serve/devtools.go b/pkg/cmd/serve/devtools.go
index e2e9e2b57e..1154500e07 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/serve/devtools.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/serve/devtools.go
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ func NewDevtoolsCommand(programName string) *cobra.Command {
 		Short:   "runs the developer tools service",
 		Long:    "Serves the authzed.api.v0.DeveloperService which is used for development tooling such as the Authzed Playground",
 		PreRunE: cmdutil.DefaultPreRunE(programName),
-		Run:     runfunc,
+		RunE:    runfunc,
 		Args:    cobra.ExactArgs(0),
 	}
 }
 
-func runfunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+func runfunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	grpcServer, err := cobrautil.GrpcServerFromFlags(cmd, "grpc", grpc.ChainUnaryInterceptor(
 		grpclog.UnaryServerInterceptor(grpczerolog.InterceptorLogger(log.Logger)),
 		otelgrpc.UnaryServerInterceptor(),
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ func runfunc(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	if err := metricsSrv.Close(); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed while shutting down metrics server")
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 func shareStoreFromCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) (v0svc.ShareStore, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/serve/serve.go b/pkg/cmd/serve/serve.go
index e70eeb70ea..7e48c2de29 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/serve/serve.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/serve/serve.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package serve
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"time"
 
 	grpcauth "github.com/grpc-ecosystem/go-grpc-middleware/auth"
@@ -81,21 +82,21 @@ func NewServeCommand(programName string, dsConfig *cmdutil.DatastoreConfig) *cob
 		Short:   "serve the permissions database",
 		Long:    "A database that stores, computes, and validates application permissions",
 		PreRunE: cmdutil.DefaultPreRunE(programName),
-		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			signalctx := cmdutil.SignalContextWithGracePeriod(
 				context.Background(),
 				cobrautil.MustGetDuration(cmd, "grpc-shutdown-grace-period"),
 			)
-			serveRun(signalctx, cmd, args, dsConfig)
+			return serveRun(signalctx, cmd, args, dsConfig)
 		},
 		Example: cmdutil.ServeExample(programName),
 	}
 }
 
-func serveRun(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, datastoreOpts *cmdutil.DatastoreConfig) {
+func serveRun(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, datastoreOpts *cmdutil.DatastoreConfig) error {
 	token := cobrautil.MustGetStringExpanded(cmd, "grpc-preshared-key")
 	if len(token) < 1 {
-		log.Fatal().Msg("a preshared key must be provided via --grpc-preshared-key to authenticate API requests")
+		return errors.New("a preshared key must be provided via --grpc-preshared-key to authenticate API requests")
 	}
 
 	ds, err := cmdutil.NewDatastore(datastoreOpts.ToOption())
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ func serveRun(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, datastoreO
 				log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed to load bootstrap files")
 			}
 		} else {
-			log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("cannot apply bootstrap data: schema or tuples already exist in the datastore. Delete existing data or set the flag --datastore-bootstrap-overwrite=true")
+			return errors.New("cannot apply bootstrap data: schema or tuples already exist in the datastore. Delete existing data or set the flag --datastore-bootstrap-overwrite=true")
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -301,4 +302,6 @@ func serveRun(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, datastoreO
 	if err := dashboardSrv.Close(); err != nil {
 		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msg("failed while shutting down dashboard")
 	}
+
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/serve/testing.go b/pkg/cmd/serve/testing.go
index 9d084b58e1..6250fc771d 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/serve/testing.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/serve/testing.go
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ func NewTestingCommand(programName string) *cobra.Command {
 		Short:   "test server with an in-memory datastore",
 		Long:    "An in-memory spicedb server which serves completely isolated datastores per client-supplied auth token used.",
 		PreRunE: cmdutil.DefaultPreRunE(programName),
-		Run:     runTestServer,
+		RunE:    runTestServer,
 	}
 }
 
-func runTestServer(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+func runTestServer(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	configFilePaths := cobrautil.MustGetStringSliceExpanded(cmd, "load-configs")
 
 	backendMiddleware := &perTokenBackendMiddleware{
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ func runTestServer(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	log.Info().Msg("received interrupt")
 	grpcServer.GracefulStop()
 	readonlyServer.GracefulStop()
+
+	return nil
 }
 
 type dummyBackend struct {