diff --git a/cpukit/ChangeLog b/cpukit/ChangeLog
index 0b976c3150..f0d8b0c12a 100644
--- a/cpukit/ChangeLog
+++ b/cpukit/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2011-07-13	Joel Sherrill <joel.sherrilL@OARcorp.com>
+
+	PR 1824/cpukit
+	* sapi/include/rtems/init.h, sapi/src/exinit.c, sapi/src/exshutdown.c:
+	Return exit/shutdown status back to boot_card().
+
 2011-07-11	Sebastien Bourdeauducq <sebastien.bourdeauducq@gmail.com>
 
 	PR 1823/cpukit
diff --git a/cpukit/sapi/include/rtems/init.h b/cpukit/sapi/include/rtems/init.h
index 8cc7aa5c31..952b075c14 100644
--- a/cpukit/sapi/include/rtems/init.h
+++ b/cpukit/sapi/include/rtems/init.h
@@ -76,8 +76,11 @@ void rtems_initialize_device_drivers(void);
  *  This routine implements the early portion of rtems_initialize_executive
  *  directive up to the pretasking hook. This directive is invoked at system
  *  startup to initialize the RTEMS multitasking environment.
+ *
+ *  @return This method returns the status code passed into the 
+ *          @ref rtems_shutdown_executive directive.
  */
-void rtems_initialize_start_multitasking(void);
+uint32_t rtems_initialize_start_multitasking(void);
 
 /**
  *  @brief rtems_shutdown_executive
diff --git a/cpukit/sapi/src/exinit.c b/cpukit/sapi/src/exinit.c
index 860d758774..34b83c7180 100644
--- a/cpukit/sapi/src/exinit.c
+++ b/cpukit/sapi/src/exinit.c
@@ -225,9 +225,8 @@ void rtems_initialize_device_drivers(void)
   _API_extensions_Run_postdriver();
 }
 
-void rtems_initialize_start_multitasking(void)
+uint32_t rtems_initialize_start_multitasking(void)
 {
-
   _System_state_Set( SYSTEM_STATE_BEGIN_MULTITASKING );
 
   _Thread_Start_multitasking();
@@ -240,4 +239,6 @@ void rtems_initialize_start_multitasking(void)
    *******************************************************************
    *******************************************************************
    *******************************************************************/
+  
+  return _Per_CPU_Information[0].idle->Wait.return_code;
 }
diff --git a/cpukit/sapi/src/exshutdown.c b/cpukit/sapi/src/exshutdown.c
index 1de3b843e2..f004dbd755 100644
--- a/cpukit/sapi/src/exshutdown.c
+++ b/cpukit/sapi/src/exshutdown.c
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ void rtems_shutdown_executive(
     #if defined(RTEMS_SMP)
       _SMP_Request_other_cores_to_shutdown();
     #endif
+
+    _Per_CPU_Information[0].idle->Wait.return_code = result;
+
     _System_state_Set( SYSTEM_STATE_SHUTDOWN );
     _Thread_Stop_multitasking();
   }