diff --git a/js/src/devtools/rootAnalysis/run_complete b/js/src/devtools/rootAnalysis/run_complete
index 2e46afc3d0e..48aea4dcca2 100755
--- a/js/src/devtools/rootAnalysis/run_complete
+++ b/js/src/devtools/rootAnalysis/run_complete
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ GetOptions("build-root|b=s" => \$build_dir,
            "annotations-file|annotations|a=s" => \$ann_file,
            "old-dir|old=s" => \$old_dir,
            "foreground!" => \$foreground,
-	   "buildcommand=s" => \$builder,
+           "buildcommand=s" => \$builder,
            )
     or die;
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ sub clean_project {
 
 # code to build the project from $build_dir.
 sub build_project {
-    return system($builder);
+    return system($builder) >> 8;
 }
 
 # commands to start the various xgill binaries. timeouts can be specified
@@ -164,9 +164,10 @@ close(OUT);
 
 for my $pid (@waitpids) {
     waitpid($pid, 0);
-    $status ||= $?;
+    $status ||= $s? >> 8;
 }
 
+print "Exiting run_complete with status $status\n";
 exit $status;
 
 # get the IP address which a freshly created manager is listening on.
@@ -179,7 +180,7 @@ sub get_manager_address
 
     my $log_data = `cat $log_file`;
     my ($port) = $log_data =~ /Listening on ([\.\:0-9]*)/
-	or die "no manager found";
+      or die "no manager found";
     print OUT "Connecting to manager on port $port\n";
     print "Connecting to manager on port $port.\n";
     return $1;
@@ -231,19 +232,19 @@ sub run_build
         system("$xsource -remote=$address -end-manager");
 
         # wait for the manager to clean up and terminate.
-        print "Waiting for manager to finish...\n";
+        print "Waiting for manager to finish (build status $exit_status)...\n";
         waitpid($pid, 0);
 
         # build is finished, the complete run can resume.
         # return value only useful if --foreground
+        print "Exiting with status " . ($? || $exit_status) . "\n";
         exit($? || $exit_status);
     }
 
     # this is the complete process, wait for the build to finish.
     waitpid($pid, 0);
-    my $status = $?;
-
-    print "build finished: ";
+    my $status = $? >> 8;
+    print "build finished (status $status): ";
     print scalar(localtime());
     print "\n";