diff --git a/internal/exit/exit.go b/internal/exit/exit.go
index dfc5b05fe..583132648 100644
--- a/internal/exit/exit.go
+++ b/internal/exit/exit.go
@@ -24,18 +24,19 @@ package exit
 
 import "os"
 
-var real = func() { os.Exit(1) }
+var real = func(code int) { os.Exit(code) }
 
 // Exit normally terminates the process by calling os.Exit(1). If the package
 // is stubbed, it instead records a call in the testing spy.
-func Exit() {
-	real()
+func Exit(code int) {
+	real(code)
 }
 
 // A StubbedExit is a testing fake for os.Exit.
 type StubbedExit struct {
 	Exited bool
-	prev   func()
+	Code   int
+	prev   func(code int)
 }
 
 // Stub substitutes a fake for the call to os.Exit(1).
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ func (se *StubbedExit) Unstub() {
 	real = se.prev
 }
 
-func (se *StubbedExit) exit() {
+func (se *StubbedExit) exit(code int) {
 	se.Exited = true
+	se.Code = code
 }
diff --git a/internal/exit/exit_test.go b/internal/exit/exit_test.go
index 300cdc309..a0371b0ee 100644
--- a/internal/exit/exit_test.go
+++ b/internal/exit/exit_test.go
@@ -18,25 +18,33 @@
 // OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
 // THE SOFTWARE.
 
-package exit
+package exit_test
 
 import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"go.uber.org/zap/internal/exit"
 )
 
 func TestStub(t *testing.T) {
+	type want struct {
+		exit bool
+		code int
+	}
 	tests := []struct {
-		f    func()
-		want bool
+		f func()
+		want
 	}{
-		{Exit, true},
-		{func() {}, false},
+		{func() {
+			exit.Exit(42)
+		}, want{exit: true, code: 42}},
+		{func() {}, want{}},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
-		s := WithStub(tt.f)
-		assert.Equal(t, tt.want, s.Exited, "Stub captured unexpected exit value.")
+		s := exit.WithStub(tt.f)
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.want.exit, s.Exited, "Stub captured unexpected exit value.")
+		assert.Equal(t, tt.want.code, s.Code, "Stub captured unexpected exit value.")
 	}
 }
diff --git a/logger_test.go b/logger_test.go
index 4b54ff470..c14d74d4b 100644
--- a/logger_test.go
+++ b/logger_test.go
@@ -213,8 +213,14 @@ func TestLoggerAlwaysFatals(t *testing.T) {
 	// Users can disable writing out fatal-level logs, but calls to logger.Fatal()
 	// should still terminate the process.
 	withLogger(t, FatalLevel+1, nil, func(logger *Logger, logs *observer.ObservedLogs) {
-		stub := exit.WithStub(func() { logger.Fatal("") })
+		stub := exit.WithStub(func() { logger.Fatal("foo") })
 		assert.True(t, stub.Exited, "Expected calls to logger.Fatal to terminate process.")
+		assert.Equal(t, 38, stub.Code, "Expected calls to logger.Fatal to terminate process with predictable retcode.")
+
+		err := errors.New("bar")
+		stub = exit.WithStub(func() { logger.Fatal("foo", Error(err)) })
+		assert.True(t, stub.Exited, "Expected calls to logger.Fatal to terminate process.")
+		assert.Equal(t, 129, stub.Code, "Expected calls to logger.Fatal to terminate process with predictable retcode.")
 
 		stub = exit.WithStub(func() {
 			if ce := logger.Check(FatalLevel, ""); ce != nil {
@@ -222,6 +228,7 @@ func TestLoggerAlwaysFatals(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		})
 		assert.True(t, stub.Exited, "Expected calls to logger.Check(FatalLevel, ...) to terminate process.")
+		assert.Equal(t, 1, stub.Code, "Expected calls to logger.Check(FatalLevel, ...) to terminate process with predictable retcode.")
 
 		assert.Equal(t, 0, logs.Len(), "Shouldn't write out logs when fatal-level logging is disabled.")
 	})
diff --git a/zapcore/entry.go b/zapcore/entry.go
index 0885505b7..543fd9124 100644
--- a/zapcore/entry.go
+++ b/zapcore/entry.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ package zapcore
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"hash/crc32"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -231,7 +232,7 @@ func (ce *CheckedEntry) Write(fields ...Field) {
 	case WriteThenPanic:
 		panic(msg)
 	case WriteThenFatal:
-		exit.Exit()
+		exit.Exit(retcode(ce, fields))
 	case WriteThenGoexit:
 		runtime.Goexit()
 	}
@@ -260,3 +261,14 @@ func (ce *CheckedEntry) Should(ent Entry, should CheckWriteAction) *CheckedEntry
 	ce.should = should
 	return ce
 }
+
+func retcode(ce *CheckedEntry, fields []Field) int {
+	msg := ce.Message
+	for _, field := range fields {
+		if field.Type == ErrorType {
+			msg = field.Interface.(error).Error()
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	return int(crc32.ChecksumIEEE([]byte(msg)))%254 + 1
+}
diff --git a/zapcore/entry_test.go b/zapcore/entry_test.go
index 4c2d67eae..e25a84419 100644
--- a/zapcore/entry_test.go
+++ b/zapcore/entry_test.go
@@ -124,9 +124,11 @@ func TestCheckedEntryWrite(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("WriteThenFatal", func(t *testing.T) {
 		var ce *CheckedEntry
 		ce = ce.Should(Entry{}, WriteThenFatal)
+		ce.Message = t.Name()
 		stub := exit.WithStub(func() {
 			ce.Write()
 		})
 		assert.True(t, stub.Exited, "Expected to exit when WriteThenFatal is set.")
+		assert.Equal(t, 57, stub.Code, "Expected to exit with specific code when WriteThenFatal is set.")
 	})
 }