diff --git a/mixnode/src/commands/upgrade.rs b/mixnode/src/commands/upgrade.rs
index 847e407306..7c572dcfd4 100644
--- a/mixnode/src/commands/upgrade.rs
+++ b/mixnode/src/commands/upgrade.rs
@@ -189,12 +189,12 @@ fn pre_090_upgrade(from: &str, config: Config) -> Config {
     upgraded_config
 }
 
-fn minor_010_upgrade(
+fn minor_0_10_upgrade(
     config: Config,
     _matches: &ArgMatches,
     config_version: &Version,
     package_version: &Version,
-) -> Config {
+) -> Result<Config, (Version, String)> {
     let to_version = if package_version.major == 0 && package_version.minor == 10 {
         package_version.clone()
     } else {
@@ -204,8 +204,7 @@ fn minor_010_upgrade(
     print_start_upgrade(&config_version, &to_version);
 
     if config.get_validator_mixnet_contract_address() != MISSING_VALUE {
-        eprintln!("existing config seems to have specified mixnet contract address which was only introduced in 0.10.0! Can't perform upgrade.");
-        fail_upgrade(&config_version, to_version)
+        return Err((to_version, "existing config seems to have specified mixnet contract address which was only introduced in 0.10.0! Can't perform upgrade.".to_string()));
     }
 
     println!(
@@ -223,22 +222,24 @@ fn minor_010_upgrade(
         .with_custom_validators(default_validator_rest_endpoints())
         .with_custom_mixnet_contract(DEFAULT_MIXNET_CONTRACT_ADDRESS);
 
-    upgraded_config.save_to_file(None).unwrap_or_else(|err| {
-        eprintln!("failed to overwrite config file! - {:?}", err);
-        fail_upgrade(&config_version, &to_version)
-    });
+    upgraded_config.save_to_file(None).map_err(|err| {
+        (
+            to_version.clone(),
+            format!("failed to overwrite config file! - {:?}", err),
+        )
+    })?;
 
     print_successful_upgrade(config_version, to_version);
 
-    upgraded_config
+    Ok(upgraded_config)
 }
 
-fn patch_010_upgrade(
+fn patch_0_10_1_upgrade(
     config: Config,
     _matches: &ArgMatches,
     config_version: &Version,
     package_version: &Version,
-) -> Config {
+) -> Result<Config, (Version, String)> {
     // welp, stuff like ports are mostly hardcoded and not part of the config so all is changes is just the version
     // number
     let to_version = package_version;
@@ -247,14 +248,16 @@ fn patch_010_upgrade(
 
     let upgraded_config = config.with_custom_version(to_version.to_string().as_ref());
 
-    upgraded_config.save_to_file(None).unwrap_or_else(|err| {
-        eprintln!("failed to overwrite config file! - {:?}", err);
-        fail_upgrade(&config_version, to_version)
-    });
+    upgraded_config.save_to_file(None).map_err(|err| {
+        (
+            to_version.clone(),
+            format!("failed to overwrite config file! - {:?}", err),
+        )
+    })?;
 
     print_successful_upgrade(config_version, to_version);
 
-    upgraded_config
+    Ok(upgraded_config)
 }
 
 // TODO: to be renamed once the release version is decided (so presumably either 0.10.2 or 0.11.0)
@@ -263,7 +266,7 @@ fn undetermined_version_upgrade(
     _matches: &ArgMatches,
     config_version: &Version,
     package_version: &Version,
-) -> Config {
+) -> Result<Config, (Version, String)> {
     // If we decide this version should be tagged with 0.11.0, then the following code will be used instead:
     // let to_version = if package_version.major == 0 && package_version.minor == 11 {
     //     package_version.clone()
@@ -281,8 +284,10 @@ fn undetermined_version_upgrade(
         Err(_) => {
             let announce_split = current_annnounce_addr.split(':').collect::<Vec<_>>();
             if announce_split.len() != 2 {
-                eprintln!("failed to correctly parse current announce host");
-                fail_upgrade(&config_version, &to_version)
+                return Err((
+                    to_version.clone(),
+                    "failed to correctly parse current announce host".to_string(),
+                ));
             }
             (
                 announce_split[0].to_string(),
@@ -296,14 +301,16 @@ fn undetermined_version_upgrade(
         .with_announce_address(announce_address)
         .with_mix_port(custom_mix_port);
 
-    upgraded_config.save_to_file(None).unwrap_or_else(|err| {
-        eprintln!("failed to overwrite config file! - {:?}", err);
-        fail_upgrade(&config_version, to_version)
-    });
+    upgraded_config.save_to_file(None).map_err(|err| {
+        (
+            to_version.clone(),
+            format!("failed to overwrite config file! - {:?}", err),
+        )
+    })?;
 
     print_successful_upgrade(config_version, to_version);
 
-    upgraded_config
+    Ok(upgraded_config)
 }
 
 fn do_upgrade(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches, package_version: Version) {
@@ -317,9 +324,9 @@ fn do_upgrade(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches, package_version: Version
 
         config = match config_version.major {
             0 => match config_version.minor {
-                9 => minor_010_upgrade(config, matches, &config_version, &package_version),
+                9 => minor_0_10_upgrade(config, matches, &config_version, &package_version),
                 10 => match config_version.patch {
-                    0 => patch_010_upgrade(config, matches, &config_version, &package_version),
+                    0 => patch_0_10_1_upgrade(config, matches, &config_version, &package_version),
                     _ => undetermined_version_upgrade(
                         config,
                         matches,
@@ -331,6 +338,11 @@ fn do_upgrade(mut config: Config, matches: &ArgMatches, package_version: Version
             },
             _ => unsupported_upgrade(config_version, package_version),
         }
+        .unwrap_or_else(|(to_version, err)| {
+            eprintln!("{:?}", err);
+            print_failed_upgrade(&config_version, &to_version);
+            process::exit(1);
+        });
     }
 }