diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java
index 1a9d9f1a..6c0e44d6 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListener.java
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ public class TaskLifecycleListener implements ApplicationListener<ApplicationEve
 		}
 		else if(applicationEvent instanceof ExitCodeEvent){
 			this.exitCodeEvent = (ExitCodeEvent) applicationEvent;
-			doTaskEnd();
 		}
 		else if(applicationEvent instanceof ApplicationReadyEvent) {
 			doTaskEnd();
@@ -159,7 +158,7 @@ public class TaskLifecycleListener implements ApplicationListener<ApplicationEve
 				this.taskExecution.setErrorMessage(stackTraceToString(this.applicationFailedEvent.getException()));
 			}
 
-			if(this.taskExecution.getExitCode() != 0){
+			if (this.applicationFailedEvent != null && this.taskExecution.getExitCode() != 0) {
 				taskExecution.setExitMessage(invokeOnTaskError(taskExecution,
 						this.applicationFailedEvent.getException()).getExitMessage());
 			}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java
index ed9f4c87..2f72b44c 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-task-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/task/listener/TaskLifecycleListenerTests.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import org.springframework.boot.ApplicationArguments;
+import org.springframework.boot.ExitCodeEvent;
 import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.PropertyPlaceholderAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.context.event.ApplicationFailedEvent;
@@ -111,6 +112,20 @@ public class TaskLifecycleListenerTests {
 		verifyTaskExecution(0, true, 1, exception);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testTaskFailedWithExitCodeEvent() {
+		final int exitCode = 10;
+		context.refresh();
+		RuntimeException exception = new RuntimeException("This was expected");
+		SpringApplication application = new SpringApplication();
+		this.taskExplorer = context.getBean(TaskExplorer.class);
+		context.publishEvent(new ExitCodeEvent(context, exitCode));
+		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationFailedEvent(application, new String[0], context, exception));
+		context.publishEvent(new ApplicationReadyEvent(application, new String[0], context));
+
+		verifyTaskExecution(0, true, exitCode, exception);
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testNoClosingOfContext() {
 		ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext = SpringApplication.run(new Object[] {TestDefaultConfiguration.class, PropertyPlaceholderAutoConfiguration.class},