diff --git a/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go b/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go
index 04c9cd2f5..20374bf6f 100644
--- a/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go
+++ b/ssh/tailssh/tailssh_test.go
@@ -523,6 +523,7 @@ func TestSSHRecordingCancelsSessionsOnUploadFailure(t *testing.T) {
 		handler          func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 		sshCommand       string
 		wantClientOutput string
+		wantExitCode     int // expected SSH exit code; 0 means don't check
 
 		clientOutputMustNotContain []string
 	}{
@@ -533,6 +534,7 @@ func TestSSHRecordingCancelsSessionsOnUploadFailure(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			sshCommand:       "echo hello",
 			wantClientOutput: "session rejected\r\n",
+			wantExitCode:     254,
 
 			clientOutputMustNotContain: []string{"hello"},
 		},
@@ -580,6 +582,16 @@ func TestSSHRecordingCancelsSessionsOnUploadFailure(t *testing.T) {
 				} else {
 					t.Errorf("client did not get kicked out: %q", got)
 				}
+				if tt.wantExitCode != 0 {
+					var exitErr *testssh.ExitError
+					if errors.As(err, &exitErr) {
+						if exitErr.ExitStatus() != tt.wantExitCode {
+							t.Errorf("exit code = %d, want %d", exitErr.ExitStatus(), tt.wantExitCode)
+						}
+					} else {
+						t.Errorf("expected *ssh.ExitError, got %T: %v", err, err)
+					}
+				}
 				gotStr := string(got)
 				if !strings.HasSuffix(gotStr, tt.wantClientOutput) {
 					t.Errorf("client got %q, want %q", got, tt.wantClientOutput)
@@ -1218,6 +1230,45 @@ func TestSSH(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("got %q; want %q", got, str)
 		}
 	})
+
+	t.Run("exit_code_zero", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cmd := execSSH("true")
+		if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("expected exit code 0, got error: %v", err)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("exit_code_passthrough", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cmd := execSSH("exit 42")
+		err := cmd.Run()
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected non-zero exit code")
+		}
+		var ee *exec.ExitError
+		if !errors.As(err, &ee) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected *exec.ExitError, got %T: %v", err, err)
+		}
+		if got := ee.ExitCode(); got != 42 {
+			t.Errorf("exit code = %d, want 42", got)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("exit_code_127_command_not_found", func(t *testing.T) {
+		cmd := execSSH("/nonexistent/binary")
+		err := cmd.Run()
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("expected non-zero exit code")
+		}
+		var ee *exec.ExitError
+		if !errors.As(err, &ee) {
+			t.Fatalf("expected *exec.ExitError, got %T: %v", err, err)
+		}
+		// Exit code 127 for command not found, per POSIX shell convention.
+		// https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/V3_chap02.html#tag_18_08_02
+		if got := ee.ExitCode(); got != 127 {
+			t.Errorf("exit code = %d, want 127", got)
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func parseEnv(out []byte) map[string]string {