diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
index 4941e115fb..fbb296992b 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/scribblings/raco/setup.scrbl
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ Optional @filepath{info.rkt} fields trigger additional actions by
                 [#:tidy? tidy? any/c #f]
                 [#:jobs jobs exact-nonnegative-integer? #f]
                 [#:get-target-dir get-target-dir (or/c #f (-> path-string?)) #f])
-          void?]{
+          boolean?]{
 Runs @exec{raco setup} with various options:
 
 @itemlist[
@@ -709,7 +709,11 @@ Runs @exec{raco setup} with various options:
  @item{@racket[get-target-dir] --- if not @racket[#f], treated as a
        value for @sigelem[setup-option^ current-target-directory-getter]}
 
-]}
+]
+
+The result is @racket[#t] if @exec{raco setup} completes without error,
+@racket[#f] otherwise.}
+
 
 @subsection{@exec{raco setup} Unit}
 
diff --git a/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt b/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
index 5a0942d801..19416b63f2 100644
--- a/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
@@ -13,21 +13,24 @@
          (prefix-in setup: setup/setup)
          (for-syntax racket/base))
 
-(define (setup no-setup? setup-collects jobs)
+(define (setup what no-setup? setup-collects jobs)
   (unless (or (eq? setup-collects 'skip)
               no-setup?
               (not (member (getenv "PLT_PKG_NOSETUP") '(#f ""))))
     (define installation? (eq? 'installation (current-pkg-scope)))
-    (setup:setup
-     #:make-user? (not installation?)
-     #:avoid-main? (not installation?)
-     #:collections (and setup-collects
-                        (map (lambda (s)
-                               (if (list? s) s (list s)))
-                             setup-collects))
-     #:tidy? #t
-     #:make-doc-index? #t
-     #:jobs jobs)))
+    (unless (setup:setup
+             #:make-user? (not installation?)
+             #:avoid-main? (not installation?)
+             #:collections (and setup-collects
+                                (map (lambda (s)
+                                       (if (list? s) s (list s)))
+                                     setup-collects))
+             #:tidy? #t
+             #:make-doc-index? #t
+             #:jobs jobs)
+      ((current-pkg-error)
+       "packages ~a, although setup reported errors"
+       what))))
 
 (define ((pkg-error cmd) . args)
   (apply raise-user-error
@@ -191,7 +194,7 @@
                                   #:link-dirs? link-dirs?
                                   (for/list ([p (in-list sources)])
                                     (pkg-desc p a-type* name checksum #f))))))
-                (setup no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
+                (setup "installed" no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
             ;; ----------------------------------------
             [update
              "Update packages"
@@ -246,7 +249,7 @@
                                  #:update-implies? (not ignore-implies)
                                  #:strip (or (and source 'source) (and binary 'binary))
                                  #:link-dirs? link-dirs?))))
-                (setup no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
+                (setup "updated" no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
             ;; ----------------------------------------
             [remove
              "Remove packages"
@@ -270,7 +273,7 @@
                                #:demote? demote
                                #:auto? auto
                                #:force? force)))
-                (setup no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
+                (setup "removed" no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
             ;; ----------------------------------------
             [show
              "Show information about installed packages"
@@ -345,7 +348,7 @@
                                   #:ignore-checksums? ignore-checksums
                                   #:use-cache? (not no-cache)
                                   #:strip (or (and source 'source) (and binary 'binary))))))
-                (setup no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
+                (setup "migrated" no-setup setup-collects jobs)))]
             ;; ----------------------------------------
             [create
              "Bundle package from a directory or installed package"
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/HISTORY.txt b/racket/collects/racket/HISTORY.txt
index 07f7e520b6..abaccabd1f 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/HISTORY.txt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/HISTORY.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ Version 5.90.0.11
 Added flrandom and unsafe-flrandom
 xml: added a #:insert-newlines? argument to write-xexpr
 racket/contract: added channel/c
+setup/setup: changed setup to return a boolean
 
 Version 5.90.0.10
 Changed serializable-struct, etc. to provide deserialized-info:...
diff --git a/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt b/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt
index 8d75431011..9addf1f9ca 100644
--- a/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/setup/setup.rkt
@@ -56,5 +56,9 @@
 
    (let/ec esc
      (parameterize ([exit-handler
-                     (lambda (v) (esc (void)))])
-       (setup-core)))))
+                     (lambda (v) (esc (if (and (integer? v)
+                                               (<= 1 v 255))
+                                          #f
+                                          #t)))])
+       (setup-core)
+       #t))))