diff --git a/src/d_main.cpp b/src/d_main.cpp
index c5535bee60..2beb7201d2 100644
--- a/src/d_main.cpp
+++ b/src/d_main.cpp
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ const FIWADInfo *D_FindIWAD(TArray<FString> &wadfiles, const char *iwad, const c
 
 // PUBLIC FUNCTION PROTOTYPES ----------------------------------------------
 
-void D_CheckNetGame ();
+bool D_CheckNetGame ();
 void D_ProcessEvents ();
 void G_BuildTiccmd (ticcmd_t* cmd);
 void D_DoAdvanceDemo ();
@@ -2353,7 +2353,7 @@ void I_Quit()
 //
 //==========================================================================
 
-static void D_DoomMain_Internal (void)
+static int D_DoomMain_Internal (void)
 {
 	int p;
 	const char *v;
@@ -2710,7 +2710,10 @@ static void D_DoomMain_Internal (void)
 		{
 			if (!batchrun) Printf ("D_CheckNetGame: Checking network game status.\n");
 			StartScreen->LoadingStatus ("Checking network game status.", 0x3f);
-			D_CheckNetGame ();
+			if (!D_CheckNetGame ())
+			{
+				return 0;
+			}
 		}
 
 		// [SP] Force vanilla transparency auto-detection to re-detect our game lumps now
@@ -2746,7 +2749,7 @@ static void D_DoomMain_Internal (void)
 
 			if (Args->CheckParm("-norun") || batchrun)
 			{
-				return;
+				return 1337; // special exit
 			}
 
 			V_Init2();
@@ -2842,8 +2845,7 @@ int D_DoomMain()
 	int ret = 0;
 	try
 	{
-		D_DoomMain_Internal();
-		ret = 1337;
+		ret = D_DoomMain_Internal();
 	}
 	catch (std::exception &error)
 	{
diff --git a/src/d_net.cpp b/src/d_net.cpp
index 9bb00105ce..ba4234cbe8 100644
--- a/src/d_net.cpp
+++ b/src/d_net.cpp
@@ -1653,7 +1653,7 @@ static void SendSetup (uint32_t playersdetected[MAXNETNODES], uint8_t gotsetup[M
 // Works out player numbers among the net participants
 //
 
-void D_CheckNetGame (void)
+bool D_CheckNetGame (void)
 {
 	const char *v;
 	int i;
@@ -1674,8 +1674,13 @@ void D_CheckNetGame (void)
 			"\nIf the game is running well below expected speeds, use netmode 0 (P2P) instead.\n");
 	}
 
+	int result = I_InitNetwork ();
 	// I_InitNetwork sets doomcom and netgame
-	if (I_InitNetwork ())
+	if (result == -1)
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+	else if (result > 0)
 	{
 		// For now, stop auto selecting PacketServer, as it's more likely to cause confusion.
 		//NetMode = NET_PacketServer;
@@ -1739,6 +1744,8 @@ void D_CheckNetGame (void)
 
 	if (!batchrun) Printf ("player %i of %i (%i nodes)\n",
 			consoleplayer+1, doomcom.numplayers, doomcom.numnodes);
+	
+	return true;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/i_net.cpp b/src/i_net.cpp
index ca9b488f7f..d7f3fe6cd6 100644
--- a/src/i_net.cpp
+++ b/src/i_net.cpp
@@ -652,7 +652,7 @@ bool Host_SendAllHere (void *userdata)
 	return gotack[MAXNETNODES] == doomcom.numnodes - 1;
 }
 
-void HostGame (int i)
+bool HostGame (int i)
 {
 	PreGamePacket packet;
 	int numplayers;
@@ -667,7 +667,6 @@ void HostGame (int i)
 	if (numplayers > MAXNETNODES)
 	{
 		I_FatalError("You cannot host a game with %d players. The limit is currently %d.", numplayers, MAXNETNODES);
-		return;
 	}
 
 	if (numplayers == 1)
@@ -677,7 +676,7 @@ void HostGame (int i)
 		doomcom.id = DOOMCOM_ID;
 		doomcom.numplayers = doomcom.numnodes = 1;
 		doomcom.consoleplayer = 0;
-		return;
+		return true;
 	}
 
 	StartNetwork (false);
@@ -689,14 +688,13 @@ void HostGame (int i)
 
 	doomcom.numnodes = 1;
 
-	atterm(SendAbort);
-
 	StartScreen->NetInit ("Waiting for players", numplayers);
 
 	// Wait for numplayers-1 different connections
 	if (!StartScreen->NetLoop (Host_CheckForConnects, (void *)(intptr_t)numplayers))
 	{
-		exit(0);
+		SendAbort();
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	// Now inform everyone of all machines involved in the game
@@ -706,11 +704,10 @@ void HostGame (int i)
 
 	if (!StartScreen->NetLoop (Host_SendAllHere, (void *)gotack))
 	{
-		exit(0);
+		SendAbort();
+		return false;
 	}
 
-	popterm ();
-
 	// Now go
 	StartScreen->NetMessage ("Go");
 	packet.Fake = PRE_FAKE;
@@ -735,6 +732,7 @@ void HostGame (int i)
 	{
 		sendplayer[i] = i;
 	}
+	return true;
 }
 
 // This routine is used by a guest to notify the host of its presence.
@@ -844,7 +842,7 @@ bool Guest_WaitForOthers (void *userdata)
 	return false;
 }
 
-void JoinGame (int i)
+bool JoinGame (int i)
 {
 	if ((i == Args->NumArgs() - 1) ||
 		(Args->GetArg(i+1)[0] == '-') ||
@@ -858,28 +856,28 @@ void JoinGame (int i)
 	sendplayer[1] = 0;
 	doomcom.numnodes = 2;
 
-	atterm(SendAbort);
 
 	// Let host know we are here
 	StartScreen->NetInit ("Contacting host", 0);
 
 	if (!StartScreen->NetLoop (Guest_ContactHost, NULL))
 	{
-		exit(0);
+		SendAbort();
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	// Wait for everyone else to connect
 	if (!StartScreen->NetLoop (Guest_WaitForOthers, 0))
 	{
-		exit(0);
+		SendAbort();
+		return false;
 	}
-
-	popterm ();
-
+	
 	StartScreen->NetMessage ("Total players: %d", doomcom.numnodes);
 
 	doomcom.id = DOOMCOM_ID;
 	doomcom.numplayers = doomcom.numnodes;
+	return true;
 }
 
 static int PrivateNetOf(in_addr in)
@@ -939,7 +937,7 @@ static bool NodesOnSameNetwork()
 //
 // Returns true if packet server mode might be a good idea.
 //
-bool I_InitNetwork (void)
+int I_InitNetwork (void)
 {
 	int i;
 	const char *v;
@@ -969,11 +967,11 @@ bool I_InitNetwork (void)
 	//		player x: -join <player 1's address>
 	if ( (i = Args->CheckParm ("-host")) )
 	{
-		HostGame (i);
+		if (!HostGame (i)) return -1;
 	}
 	else if ( (i = Args->CheckParm ("-join")) )
 	{
-		JoinGame (i);
+		if (!JoinGame (i)) return -1;
 	}
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/src/i_net.h b/src/i_net.h
index 124116cf5c..63b91c63d8 100644
--- a/src/i_net.h
+++ b/src/i_net.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #define __I_NET_H__
 
 // Called by D_DoomMain.
-bool I_InitNetwork (void);
+int I_InitNetwork (void);
 void I_NetCmd (void);
 
 #endif