diff --git a/src/perl/irssi-core.pl b/src/perl/irssi-core.pl
index 9ab5953b..11aa0f6f 100644
--- a/src/perl/irssi-core.pl
+++ b/src/perl/irssi-core.pl
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ sub eval_data {
   }
   die $@ if $@;
 
-  eval {$package->handler;};
+  my $ret;
+  eval { $ret = $package->handler; };
   die $@ if $@;
+  return $ret;
 }
 
 sub eval_file {
diff --git a/src/perl/perl-core.c b/src/perl/perl-core.c
index accd5ef4..0c1e506b 100644
--- a/src/perl/perl-core.c
+++ b/src/perl/perl-core.c
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ static int perl_script_eval(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script)
 	dSP;
 	char *error;
 	int retcount;
+	SV *ret;
 
 	ENTER;
 	SAVETMPS;
@@ -234,19 +235,19 @@ static int perl_script_eval(PERL_SCRIPT_REC *script)
 
         error = NULL;
 	if (SvTRUE(ERRSV)) {
-                error = SvPV(ERRSV, PL_na);
-	} else if (retcount > 0) {
-		error = POPp;
-	}
+		error = SvPV(ERRSV, PL_na);
 
-	if (error != NULL) {
-		if (*error == '\0')
-			error = NULL;
-		else {
-                        error = g_strdup(error);
+		if (error != NULL) {
+			error = g_strdup(error);
 			signal_emit("script error", 2, script, error);
-                        g_free(error);
+			g_free(error);
 		}
+	} else if (retcount > 0) {
+		/* if script returns 0, it means the script wanted to die
+		   immediately without any error message */
+		ret = POPs;
+		if (ret != &PL_sv_undef && SvIOK(ret) && SvIV(ret) == 0)
+			error = "";
 	}
 
 	PUTBACK;