diff --git a/internal/pkg/dsl/cst/exit.go b/internal/pkg/dsl/cst/exit.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c4138e739
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pkg/dsl/cst/exit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+// ================================================================
+// This handles exit statements.
+// ================================================================
+
+package cst
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/johnkerl/miller/internal/pkg/dsl"
+	"github.com/johnkerl/miller/internal/pkg/lib"
+	"github.com/johnkerl/miller/internal/pkg/runtime"
+)
+
+// ================================================================
+type ExitStatementNode struct {
+	exitCodeEvaluable IEvaluable
+}
+
+func (root *RootNode) BuildExitStatementNode(
+	astNode *dsl.ASTNode,
+) (IExecutable, error) {
+	lib.InternalCodingErrorIf(len(astNode.Children) != 1)
+	exitCodeNode := astNode.Children[0]
+
+	exitCodeEvaluable, err := root.BuildEvaluableNode(exitCodeNode)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	retval := &ExitStatementNode{
+		exitCodeEvaluable: exitCodeEvaluable,
+	}
+
+	return retval, nil
+}
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------
+func (node *ExitStatementNode) Execute(state *runtime.State) (*BlockExitPayload, error) {
+	exitCodeMlrval := node.exitCodeEvaluable.Evaluate(state)
+
+	intValue, isInt := exitCodeMlrval.GetIntValue()
+	if !isInt {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("expected exit statement int argument; got %d", exitCodeMlrval.GetTypeName())
+	}
+
+	state.ExitInfo.HasExitCode = true
+	state.ExitInfo.ExitCode = int(intValue)
+
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
diff --git a/internal/pkg/dsl/cst/statements.go b/internal/pkg/dsl/cst/statements.go
index 1ea5ca026..9f3c58421 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/dsl/cst/statements.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/dsl/cst/statements.go
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ func (root *RootNode) BuildStatementNode(
 	case dsl.NodeTypeEmitPStatement:
 		return root.BuildEmitPStatementNode(astNode)
 
+	case dsl.NodeTypeExitStatement:
+		return root.BuildExitStatementNode(astNode)
+
 	case dsl.NodeTypeBeginBlock:
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("mlr: begin blocks may only be declared at top level.")
 	case dsl.NodeTypeEndBlock:
diff --git a/internal/pkg/runtime/state.go b/internal/pkg/runtime/state.go
index 7df865705..c18943f2a 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/runtime/state.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/runtime/state.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 type State struct {
 	Inrec                    *mlrval.Mlrmap
 	Context                  *types.Context
+	ExitInfo                 *types.ExitInfo
 	Oosvars                  *mlrval.Mlrmap
 	FilterExpression         *mlrval.Mlrval
 	Stack                    *Stack
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ func NewEmptyState(options *cli.TOptions) *State {
 	return &State{
 		Inrec:            nil,
 		Context:          nil,
+		ExitInfo:         types.NewExitInfo(),
 		Oosvars:          oosvars,
 		FilterExpression: mlrval.TRUE,
 		Stack:            NewStack(),