diff --git a/lib/request.js b/lib/request.js
index 16168b2fe8..067df4981b 100644
--- a/lib/request.js
+++ b/lib/request.js
@@ -473,8 +473,8 @@ AWS.Request = inherit({
           if (retryError) this.failRequest(response);
         });
       } else {
-        this.emitEvent('success', [response], this.handledErrorCallback);
-        this.emitEvent('complete', [response], this.handledErrorCallback);
+        this.emitEvent('success', [response], this.unhandledErrorCallback);
+        this.emitEvent('complete', [response], this.unhandledErrorCallback);
       }
     });
   },
@@ -482,10 +482,10 @@ AWS.Request = inherit({
   /**
    * @api private
    */
-   failRequest: function failRequest(response) {
-      this.emitEvent('error', [response.error, response], this.handledErrorCallback);
-      this.emitEvent('complete', [response], this.handledErrorCallback);
-   },
+  failRequest: function failRequest(response) {
+    this.emitEvent('error', [response.error, response], this.unhandledErrorCallback);
+    this.emitEvent('complete', [response], this.unhandledErrorCallback);
+  },
 
   /**
    * @api private
diff --git a/lib/sequential_executor.js b/lib/sequential_executor.js
index 670717eaef..a3b0e7916d 100644
--- a/lib/sequential_executor.js
+++ b/lib/sequential_executor.js
@@ -258,18 +258,10 @@ AWS.SequentialExecutor = AWS.util.inherit({
         err.domainThrown = false;
         this.domain.emit('error', err);
       } else {
-        throw err;
+        console.error(err.stack ? err.stack : err);
+        process.exit(1);
       }
     }
-  },
-
-  /**
-   * @api private
-   */
-  handledErrorCallback: function handledErrorCallback(err) {
-    try {
-      this.unhandledErrorCallback(err);
-    } catch (e) { }
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/test/event_listeners.spec.coffee b/test/event_listeners.spec.coffee
index 108169d450..ec48e39b3b 100644
--- a/test/event_listeners.spec.coffee
+++ b/test/event_listeners.spec.coffee
@@ -330,29 +330,40 @@ describe 'AWS.EventListeners', ->
       expect(completeHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
 
   describe 'terminal callback error handling', ->
+    beforeEach ->
+      spyOn(process, 'exit')
+      spyOn(console, 'error')
+
+    didError = ->
+      expect(console.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith('ERROR')
+      expect(process.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1)
+
     describe 'without domains', ->
-      it 'ignores exceptions raised from success event', ->
+      it 'logs exceptions raised from success event and exits process', ->
         helpers.mockHttpResponse 200, {}, []
         request = makeRequest()
         request.on 'success', -> throw "ERROR"
         expect(-> request.send()).not.toThrow('ERROR')
         expect(completeHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
         expect(retryHandler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+        didError()
 
-      it 'ignores exceptions raised from complete event', ->
+      it 'logs exceptions raised from complete event and exits process', ->
         helpers.mockHttpResponse 200, {}, []
         request = makeRequest()
         request.on 'complete', -> throw "ERROR"
         expect(-> request.send()).not.toThrow('ERROR')
         expect(completeHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
         expect(retryHandler).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+        didError()
 
-      it 'ignores exceptions raised from error event', ->
+      it 'logs exceptions raised from error event and exits process', ->
         helpers.mockHttpResponse 500, {}, []
         request = makeRequest()
         request.on 'error', -> throw "ERROR"
         expect(-> request.send()).not.toThrow('ERROR')
         expect(completeHandler).toHaveBeenCalled()
+        didError()
 
     describe 'with domains', ->
       it 'sends error raised from complete event to a domain', ->