diff --git a/git-difftool--helper.sh b/git-difftool--helper.sh
index d4fb6dfe13..2b11b1d6fe 100755
--- a/git-difftool--helper.sh
+++ b/git-difftool--helper.sh
@@ -94,3 +94,5 @@ else
 		shift 7
 	done
 fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/git-mergetool--lib.sh b/git-mergetool--lib.sh
index 2b6635130a..fe61e89f31 100644
--- a/git-mergetool--lib.sh
+++ b/git-mergetool--lib.sh
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ translate_merge_tool_path () {
 check_unchanged () {
 	if test "$MERGED" -nt "$BACKUP"
 	then
-		status=0
+		return 0
 	else
 		while true
 		do
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ check_unchanged () {
 			printf "Was the merge successful? [y/n] "
 			read answer || return 1
 			case "$answer" in
-			y*|Y*) status=0; break ;;
-			n*|N*) status=1; break ;;
+			y*|Y*) return 0 ;;
+			n*|N*) return 1 ;;
 			esac
 		done
 	fi
@@ -119,8 +119,6 @@ setup_user_tool () {
 
 	diff_cmd () {
 		( eval $merge_tool_cmd )
-		status=$?
-		return $status
 	}
 
 	merge_cmd () {
@@ -130,13 +128,10 @@ setup_user_tool () {
 		then
 			touch "$BACKUP"
 			( eval $merge_tool_cmd )
-			status=$?
 			check_unchanged
 		else
 			( eval $merge_tool_cmd )
-			status=$?
 		fi
-		return $status
 	}
 }
 
@@ -153,13 +148,11 @@ setup_tool () {
 	}
 
 	diff_cmd () {
-		status=1
-		return $status
+		return 1
 	}
 
 	merge_cmd () {
-		status=1
-		return $status
+		return 1
 	}
 
 	translate_merge_tool_path () {
@@ -210,7 +203,6 @@ run_merge_tool () {
 
 	merge_tool_path=$(get_merge_tool_path "$1") || exit
 	base_present="$2"
-	status=0
 
 	# Bring tool-specific functions into scope
 	setup_tool "$1" || return 1
@@ -221,8 +213,6 @@ run_merge_tool () {
 	else
 		run_diff_cmd "$1"
 	fi
-	status=$?
-	return $status
 }
 
 # Run a either a configured or built-in diff tool
diff --git a/git-mergetool.sh b/git-mergetool.sh
index ff050e58ff..d20581c15c 100755
--- a/git-mergetool.sh
+++ b/git-mergetool.sh
@@ -426,8 +426,6 @@ fi
 merge_keep_backup="$(git config --bool mergetool.keepBackup || echo true)"
 merge_keep_temporaries="$(git config --bool mergetool.keepTemporaries || echo false)"
 
-last_status=0
-rollup_status=0
 files=
 
 if test $# -eq 0
@@ -455,19 +453,15 @@ printf "%s\n" "$files"
 
 IFS='
 '
+rc=0
 for i in $files
 do
-	if test $last_status -ne 0
-	then
-		prompt_after_failed_merge || exit 1
-	fi
 	printf "\n"
-	merge_file "$i"
-	last_status=$?
-	if test $last_status -ne 0
+	if ! merge_file "$i"
 	then
-		rollup_status=1
+		rc=1
+		prompt_after_failed_merge || exit 1
 	fi
 done
 
-exit $rollup_status
+exit $rc
diff --git a/mergetools/diffmerge b/mergetools/diffmerge
index 85ac720157..f138cb4e73 100644
--- a/mergetools/diffmerge
+++ b/mergetools/diffmerge
@@ -11,5 +11,4 @@ merge_cmd () {
 		"$merge_tool_path" --merge \
 			--result="$MERGED" "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE"
 	fi
-	status=$?
 }
diff --git a/mergetools/emerge b/mergetools/emerge
index f96d9e550a..7b895fdb1f 100644
--- a/mergetools/emerge
+++ b/mergetools/emerge
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ merge_cmd () {
 			"$LOCAL" "$REMOTE" \
 			"$(basename "$MERGED")"
 	fi
-	status=$?
 }
 
 translate_merge_tool_path() {
diff --git a/mergetools/kdiff3 b/mergetools/kdiff3
index a30034f116..793d1293b1 100644
--- a/mergetools/kdiff3
+++ b/mergetools/kdiff3
@@ -20,5 +20,4 @@ merge_cmd () {
 			-o "$MERGED" "$LOCAL" "$REMOTE" \
 		>/dev/null 2>&1
 	fi
-	status=$?
 }