diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/JarLauncher.java b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/JarLauncher.java
index 6f19c70c23..ec7b0bcdc7 100644
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/JarLauncher.java
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/JarLauncher.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public class JarLauncher extends ExecutableArchiveLauncher {
 		archives.add(0, getArchive());
 	}
 
-	public static void main(String[] args) {
+	public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
 		new JarLauncher().launch(args);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/Launcher.java b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/Launcher.java
index 3938031c37..2b0f106e66 100644
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/Launcher.java
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/Launcher.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 package org.springframework.boot.loader;
 
 import java.io.File;
-import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.security.CodeSource;
@@ -39,27 +38,16 @@ import org.springframework.boot.loader.jar.JarFile;
  */
 public abstract class Launcher {
 
-	/**
-	 * The main runner class. This must be loaded by the created ClassLoader so cannot be
-	 * directly referenced.
-	 */
-	private static final String RUNNER_CLASS = Launcher.class.getPackage().getName()
-			+ ".MainMethodRunner";
-
 	/**
 	 * Launch the application. This method is the initial entry point that should be
 	 * called by a subclass {@code public static void main(String[] args)} method.
 	 * @param args the incoming arguments
+	 * @throws Exception if the application fails to launch
 	 */
-	protected void launch(String[] args) {
-		try {
-			JarFile.registerUrlProtocolHandler();
-			ClassLoader classLoader = createClassLoader(getClassPathArchives());
-			launch(args, getMainClass(), classLoader);
-		}
-		catch (Exception ex) {
-			System.exit(1);
-		}
+	protected void launch(String[] args) throws Exception {
+		JarFile.registerUrlProtocolHandler();
+		ClassLoader classLoader = createClassLoader(getClassPathArchives());
+		launch(args, getMainClass(), classLoader);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -95,9 +83,8 @@ public abstract class Launcher {
 	 */
 	protected void launch(String[] args, String mainClass, ClassLoader classLoader)
 			throws Exception {
-		Runnable runner = createMainMethodRunner(mainClass, args, classLoader);
 		Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(classLoader);
-		runner.run();
+		createMainMethodRunner(mainClass, args, classLoader).run();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -105,15 +92,11 @@ public abstract class Launcher {
 	 * @param mainClass the main class
 	 * @param args the incoming arguments
 	 * @param classLoader the classloader
-	 * @return a runnable used to start the application
-	 * @throws Exception if the main method runner cannot be created
+	 * @return the main method runner
 	 */
-	protected Runnable createMainMethodRunner(String mainClass, String[] args,
-			ClassLoader classLoader) throws Exception {
-		Class<?> runnerClass = classLoader.loadClass(RUNNER_CLASS);
-		Constructor<?> constructor = runnerClass.getConstructor(String.class,
-				String[].class);
-		return (Runnable) constructor.newInstance(mainClass, args);
+	protected MainMethodRunner createMainMethodRunner(String mainClass, String[] args,
+			ClassLoader classLoader) {
+		return new MainMethodRunner(mainClass, args);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/MainMethodRunner.java b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/MainMethodRunner.java
index 91cfbeee8e..bd6ea870f1 100644
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/MainMethodRunner.java
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/MainMethodRunner.java
@@ -16,16 +16,16 @@
 
 package org.springframework.boot.loader;
 
-import java.lang.Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 
 /**
- * Utility class that used by {@link Launcher}s to call a main method. This class allows
- * methods to be executed within a thread configured with a specific context class loader.
+ * Utility class that is used by {@link Launcher}s to call a main method. The class
+ * containing the main method is loaded using the thread context class loader.
  *
  * @author Phillip Webb
+ * @author Andy Wilkinson
  */
-public class MainMethodRunner implements Runnable {
+public class MainMethodRunner {
 
 	private final String mainClassName;
 
@@ -41,26 +41,11 @@ public class MainMethodRunner implements Runnable {
 		this.args = (args == null ? null : args.clone());
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public void run() {
-		try {
-			Class<?> mainClass = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader()
-					.loadClass(this.mainClassName);
-			Method mainMethod = mainClass.getDeclaredMethod("main", String[].class);
-			if (mainMethod == null) {
-				throw new IllegalStateException(
-						this.mainClassName + " does not have a main method");
-			}
-			mainMethod.invoke(null, new Object[] { this.args });
-		}
-		catch (Exception ex) {
-			UncaughtExceptionHandler handler = Thread.currentThread()
-					.getUncaughtExceptionHandler();
-			if (handler != null) {
-				handler.uncaughtException(Thread.currentThread(), ex);
-			}
-			throw new RuntimeException(ex);
-		}
+	public void run() throws Exception {
+		Class<?> mainClass = Thread.currentThread().getContextClassLoader()
+				.loadClass(this.mainClassName);
+		Method mainMethod = mainClass.getDeclaredMethod("main", String[].class);
+		mainMethod.invoke(null, new Object[] { this.args });
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/WarLauncher.java b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/WarLauncher.java
index 1d8601bd3d..ca3c902de0 100644
--- a/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/WarLauncher.java
+++ b/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/WarLauncher.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class WarLauncher extends ExecutableArchiveLauncher {
 		}
 	}
 
-	public static void main(String[] args) {
+	public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
 		new WarLauncher().launch(args);
 	}