diff --git a/st.c b/st.c
index ebfd5e0..bebfa9d 100644
--- a/st.c
+++ b/st.c
@@ -664,6 +664,17 @@ die(const char *errstr, ...)
 	exit(1);
 }
 
+void
+die_err(int err, const char *errstr, ...)
+{
+	va_list ap;
+
+	va_start(ap, errstr);
+	vfprintf(stderr, errstr, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+	exit(err);
+}
+
 void
 execsh(char *cmd, char **args)
 {
@@ -735,7 +746,7 @@ sigchld(int a)
 	}
 
 	if (WIFEXITED(stat) && WEXITSTATUS(stat))
-		die("child exited with status %d\n", WEXITSTATUS(stat));
+		die_err(WEXITSTATUS(stat), "child exited with status %d\n", WEXITSTATUS(stat));
 	else if (WIFSIGNALED(stat))
 		die("child terminated due to signal %d\n", WTERMSIG(stat));
 	_exit(0);
diff --git a/st.h b/st.h
index ee3bee2..46d1f5d 100644
--- a/st.h
+++ b/st.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ typedef union {
 } Arg;
 
 void die(const char *, ...);
+void die_error(int err, const char *, ...);
 void redraw(void);
 void draw(void);