diff --git a/docs/own-main.md b/docs/own-main.md
index 91a79b26..8ab0077e 100644
--- a/docs/own-main.md
+++ b/docs/own-main.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ int main( int argc, char* argv[] ) {
 
   // global clean-up...
 
-  return ( result < 0xff ? result : 0xff );
+  return result;
 }
 ```
 
@@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ int main( int argc, char* argv[] )
   // only do this if you know you need to
 
   int numFailed = session.run();
-  // Note that on unices only the lower 8 bits are usually used, clamping
-  // the return value to 255 prevents false negative when some multiple
-  // of 256 tests has failed
-  return ( numFailed < 0xff ? numFailed : 0xff );
+  // numFailed is clamped to 255 as some unices only use the lower 8 bits.
+  // This clamping has already been applied, so just return it here
+  // You can also do any post run clean-up here
+  return numFailed;
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/include/catch_session.hpp b/include/catch_session.hpp
index 09ca85f1..ffd87c9d 100644
--- a/include/catch_session.hpp
+++ b/include/catch_session.hpp
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ namespace Catch {
     }
 
     class Session : NonCopyable {
+        static const int MaxExitCode;
     public:
 
         Session() {
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ namespace Catch {
             Catch::cout() << "\nCatch v" << libraryVersion() << "\n";
 
             Catch::cout() << m_cli << std::endl;
-            Catch::cout() << "For more detail usage please see the project docs\n" << std::endl;
+            Catch::cout() << "For more detailed usage please see the project docs\n" << std::endl;
         }
 
         int applyCommandLine( int argc, char* argv[] ) {
@@ -127,7 +128,7 @@ namespace Catch {
                         << "\n\n";
                 }
                 Catch::cerr() << m_cli << std::endl;
-                return (std::numeric_limits<int>::max)();
+                return MaxExitCode;
             }
 
             if( m_configData.showHelp )
@@ -174,9 +175,7 @@ namespace Catch {
                 WideCharToMultiByte( CP_UTF8, 0, argv[i], -1, utf8Argv[i], bufSize, NULL, NULL );
             }
 
-            int returnCode = applyCommandLine( argc, utf8Argv );
-            if( returnCode == 0 )
-                returnCode = run();
+            int returnCode = run( argc, utf8Argv );
 
             for ( int i = 0; i < argc; ++i )
                 delete [] utf8Argv[ i ];
@@ -204,11 +203,11 @@ namespace Catch {
                 if( Option<std::size_t> listed = list( config() ) )
                     return static_cast<int>( *listed );
 
-                return static_cast<int>( runTests( m_config ).assertions.failed );
+                return (std::min)( MaxExitCode, static_cast<int>( runTests( m_config ).assertions.failed ) );
             }
             catch( std::exception& ex ) {
                 Catch::cerr() << ex.what() << std::endl;
-                return (std::numeric_limits<int>::max)();
+                return MaxExitCode;
             }
         }
 
@@ -232,6 +231,8 @@ namespace Catch {
         std::shared_ptr<Config> m_config;
     };
 
+    const int Session::MaxExitCode = 255;
+
 } // end namespace Catch
 
 #endif // TWOBLUECUBES_CATCH_RUNNER_HPP_INCLUDED
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_default_main.hpp b/include/internal/catch_default_main.hpp
index e9f466c0..9b7c2890 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_default_main.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_default_main.hpp
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ extern "C" int wmain (int argc, wchar_t * argv[], wchar_t * []) {
 int main (int argc, char * argv[]) {
 #endif
 
-    int result = Catch::Session().run( argc, argv );
-    return ( result < 0xff ? result : 0xff );
+    return Catch::Session().run( argc, argv );
 }
 
 #else // __OBJC__
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ int main (int argc, char * const argv[]) {
     [pool drain];
 #endif
 
-    return ( result < 0xff ? result : 0xff );
+    return result;
 }
 
 #endif // __OBJC__