diff --git a/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/bitbake.py b/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/bitbake.py
index f24a8ed5addf6722ff11936d5d43d3767dcb5e34..30bfe97828e2da13e1ab1bc82484f33887fe9467 100644
--- a/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/bitbake.py
+++ b/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/bitbake.py
@@ -114,7 +114,9 @@ class Bitbake(OebuildCommand):
         if compile_param.build_in == oebuild_const.BUILD_IN_HOST:
             in_host = InHost(self.configure)
             in_host.exec(compile_param=compile_param, command=command)
-            sys.exit(0)
+            # note: Use return instead of sys.exit because the command should exit the
+            # function rather than terminating the entire process when it is done executing.
+            return
 
         try:
             oebuild_util.check_docker()
diff --git a/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/in_host.py b/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/in_host.py
index 32f68690c086b8b497a878b2707e8d0bff1a299b..b4a489a62e195c2fc04546218eac09b14b8616cc 100644
--- a/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/in_host.py
+++ b/src/oebuild/app/plugins/bitbake/in_host.py
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ initialization operations''')
                 if s_p.stderr is not None:
                     for line in s_p.stderr:
                         logger.error(line.strip('\n'))
-            sys.exit(res)
+            if res != 0:
+                sys.exit(res)
 
     def _mk_build_sh(self, nativesdk_dir, build_dir):
         # get nativesdk environment path automatic for next step