diff --git a/src/commands/validate.ts b/src/commands/validate.ts
index 7254b52f4f5..c678b5f662c 100644
--- a/src/commands/validate.ts
+++ b/src/commands/validate.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ export default class Validate extends Command {
       specWatcher({ spec: specFile, handler: this, handlerName: 'validate' });
     }
 
-    await validate(this, specFile, flags);
+    const validationResult = await validate(this, specFile, flags);
+    if (validationResult === 'invalid') {
+      process.exitCode = 1;
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/validate.test.ts b/test/integration/validate.test.ts
index c0298279bc9..d63921f4b6f 100644
--- a/test/integration/validate.test.ts
+++ b/test/integration/validate.test.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ describe('validate', () => {
       testHelper.setCurrentContext('home');
       testHelper.deleteDummyContextFile();
     });
-    
+
     test
       .stderr()
       .stdout()
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ describe('validate', () => {
       .command(['validate', './test/fixtures/specification.yml', '--fail-severity=warn'])
       .it('works with --fail-severity', (ctx, done) => {
         expect(ctx.stderr).to.include('\nFile ./test/fixtures/specification.yml and/or referenced documents have governance issues.\n\ntest/fixtures/specification.yml');
+        expect(process.exitCode).to.equal(1);
         done();
       });
   });