diff --git a/boot/init.pl b/boot/init.pl
index 67a2387575..4601b3fcfa 100644
--- a/boot/init.pl
+++ b/boot/init.pl
@@ -1869,6 +1869,7 @@
     '$must_be'(list, Options),
     '$load_files'(Files, Module, Options).
 
+:- dynamic '$load_file_exception'/1.
 '$load_files'(X, _, _) :-
     var(X),
     !,
@@ -1885,7 +1886,11 @@
     List = [_|_],
     !,
     '$must_be'(list, List),
-    '$load_file_list'(List, Module, Options).
+    '$load_file_list'(List, Module, Options),
+    (   '$load_file_exception'(E)
+    ->  throw(E)
+    ;   true
+    ).
 '$load_files'(File, Module, Options) :-
     '$load_one_file'(File, Module, Options).
 
@@ -1893,7 +1898,7 @@
 '$load_file_list'([File|Rest], Module, Options) :-
     E = error(_,_),
     catch('$load_one_file'(File, Module, Options), E,
-          '$print_message'(error, E)),
+          assertz('$load_file_exception'(E)) ),
     '$load_file_list'(Rest, Module, Options).
 
 
diff --git a/boot/toplevel.pl b/boot/toplevel.pl
index 762fe5678c..3aa5138515 100644
--- a/boot/toplevel.pl
+++ b/boot/toplevel.pl
@@ -733,13 +733,19 @@
 %   Toplevel called when invoked with -c option.
 
 '$compile' :-
+    (   catch('$compile_', E, (print_message(error, E), halt(2)))
+    ->  true
+    ;   halt(1)
+    ).
+
+'$compile_' :-
     '$load_system_init_file',
     '$set_file_search_paths',
     init_debug_flags,
     '$run_initialization',
     attach_packs,
     use_module(library(qsave)),
-    catch(qsave:qsave_toplevel, E, (print_message(error, E), halt(1))).
+    qsave:qsave_toplevel.
 
 %!  '$config'
 %