diff --git a/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop.rs b/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop.rs
index b7bc1cd42..0d666b106 100644
--- a/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop.rs
+++ b/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop.rs
@@ -188,11 +188,11 @@ impl<T: 'static> EventLoop<T> {
     where
         F: 'static + FnMut(Event<'_, T>, &RootELW<T>, &mut ControlFlow),
     {
-        self.run_return(event_handler);
-        ::std::process::exit(0);
+        let exit_code = self.run_return(event_handler);
+        ::std::process::exit(exit_code);
     }
 
-    pub fn run_return<F>(&mut self, mut event_handler: F)
+    pub fn run_return<F>(&mut self, mut event_handler: F) -> i32
     where
         F: FnMut(Event<'_, T>, &RootELW<T>, &mut ControlFlow),
     {
@@ -225,7 +225,9 @@ impl<T: 'static> EventLoop<T> {
                     panic::resume_unwind(payload);
                 }
 
-                if runner.control_flow() == ControlFlow::Exit && !runner.handling_events() {
+                if matches!(runner.control_flow(), ControlFlow::Exit(_))
+                    && !runner.handling_events()
+                {
                     break 'main;
                 }
             }
@@ -234,7 +236,15 @@ impl<T: 'static> EventLoop<T> {
         unsafe {
             runner.loop_destroyed();
         }
+        let exit_code = if let ControlFlow::Exit(code) = runner.control_flow() {
+            code
+        } else {
+            // we can't know what exactly the user wanted to return, so just assume 0
+            0
+        };
+
         runner.reset_runner();
+        exit_code
     }
 
     pub fn create_proxy(&self) -> EventLoopProxy<T> {
@@ -763,7 +773,7 @@ unsafe fn process_control_flow<T: 'static>(runner: &EventLoopRunner<T>) {
                 Box::into_raw(WaitUntilInstantBox::new(until)) as LPARAM,
             );
         }
-        ControlFlow::Exit => (),
+        ControlFlow::Exit(_) => (),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop/runner.rs b/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop/runner.rs
index cf3276746..df9e52ebb 100644
--- a/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop/runner.rs
+++ b/src/platform_impl/windows/event_loop/runner.rs
@@ -241,10 +241,10 @@ impl<T> EventLoopRunner<T> {
             let mut event_handler = self.event_handler.take()
                 .expect("either event handler is re-entrant (likely), or no event handler is registered (very unlikely)");
 
-            if control_flow != ControlFlow::Exit {
-                event_handler(event, &mut control_flow);
+            if let ControlFlow::Exit(code) = control_flow  {
+                event_handler(event, &mut ControlFlow::Exit(code));
             } else {
-                event_handler(event, &mut ControlFlow::Exit);
+                event_handler(event, &mut control_flow);
             }
 
             assert!(self.event_handler.replace(Some(event_handler)).is_none());
@@ -372,10 +372,12 @@ impl<T> EventLoopRunner<T> {
         let start_cause = match (init, self.control_flow()) {
             (true, _) => StartCause::Init,
             (false, ControlFlow::Poll) => StartCause::Poll,
-            (false, ControlFlow::Exit) | (false, ControlFlow::Wait) => StartCause::WaitCancelled {
-                requested_resume: None,
-                start: self.last_events_cleared.get(),
-            },
+            (false, ControlFlow::Exit(_)) | (false, ControlFlow::Wait) => {
+                StartCause::WaitCancelled {
+                    requested_resume: None,
+                    start: self.last_events_cleared.get(),
+                }
+            }
             (false, ControlFlow::WaitUntil(requested_resume)) => {
                 if Instant::now() < requested_resume {
                     StartCause::WaitCancelled {