diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/platform/kill.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/platform/kill.rs
index 811ce0408e..14e52d1f55 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/platform/kill.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/platform/kill.rs
@@ -132,10 +132,37 @@ impl Command for Kill {
                 .stderr(Stdio::null());
         }
 
-        let output = cmd.output().expect("failed to execute shell command");
+        let output = cmd.output().map_err(|e| {
+            ShellError::GenericError(
+                "failed to execute shell command".into(),
+                e.to_string(),
+                Some(call.head),
+                None,
+                Vec::new(),
+            )
+        })?;
+
+        if !quiet && !output.status.success() {
+            return Err(ShellError::GenericError(
+                "process didn't terminate successfully".into(),
+                String::from_utf8(output.stderr).unwrap_or_default(),
+                Some(call.head),
+                None,
+                Vec::new(),
+            ));
+        }
+
         let val = String::from(
             String::from_utf8(output.stdout)
-                .expect("failed to convert output to string")
+                .map_err(|e| {
+                    ShellError::GenericError(
+                        "failed to convert output to string".into(),
+                        e.to_string(),
+                        Some(call.head),
+                        None,
+                        Vec::new(),
+                    )
+                })?
                 .trim_end(),
         );
         if val.is_empty() {
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mod.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mod.rs
index de1dd89d00..4f35e1074c 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/mod.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ mod open;
 mod p;
 mod parse;
 mod path;
+mod platform;
 mod prepend;
 mod print;
 #[cfg(feature = "database")]
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/platform/kill.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/platform/kill.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d74ffd372a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/platform/kill.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+use nu_test_support::nu;
+
+#[test]
+fn test_kill_invalid_pid() {
+    let pid = i32::MAX;
+    let actual = nu!(format!("kill {}", pid));
+
+    assert!(actual.err.contains("process didn't terminate successfully"));
+}
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/platform/mod.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/platform/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9d2ffbcc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/commands/platform/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+mod kill;