diff --git a/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd.go b/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd.go
index dedfafdf7..3fd28264a 100644
--- a/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd.go
+++ b/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func NewRootCmd(env cmdutil.ExecutionEnvironment) *cobra.Command {
 	addCommands(
 		cmd,
 		&cobra.Group{ID: "cluster", Title: "K8sd clustering commands:"},
-		newClusterRecoverCmd(),
+		newClusterRecoverCmd(env),
 	)
 
 	return cmd
diff --git a/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd_cluster_recover.go b/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd_cluster_recover.go
index 204dbbabd..661e0a646 100755
--- a/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd_cluster_recover.go
+++ b/src/k8s/cmd/k8sd/k8sd_cluster_recover.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 
+	cmdutil "github.com/canonical/k8s/cmd/util"
 	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/canonical/k8s/pkg/utils"
 )
@@ -100,26 +101,28 @@ func logDebugf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
 
 }
 
-func newClusterRecoverCmd() *cobra.Command {
+func newClusterRecoverCmd(env cmdutil.ExecutionEnvironment) *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use:   "cluster-recover",
 		Short: "Recover the cluster from this member if quorum is lost",
-		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			log.Configure(log.Options{
 				LogLevel:     rootCmdOpts.logLevel,
 				AddDirHeader: true,
 			})
 
 			if err := recoveryCmdPrechecks(cmd.Context()); err != nil {
-				return err
+				cmd.PrintErrf("Recovery precheck failed: %v\n", err)
+				env.Exit(1)
 			}
 
 			if clusterRecoverOpts.SkipK8sd {
-				cmd.Printf("Skipping k8sd recovery.")
+				cmd.Printf("Skipping k8sd recovery.\n")
 			} else {
 				k8sdTarballPath, err := recoverK8sd()
 				if err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf("failed to recover k8sd, error: %w", err)
+					cmd.PrintErrf("Failed to recover k8sd, error: %v\n", err)
+					env.Exit(1)
 				}
 				cmd.Printf("K8sd cluster changes applied.\n")
 				cmd.Printf("New database state saved to %s\n", k8sdTarballPath)
@@ -130,15 +133,15 @@ func newClusterRecoverCmd() *cobra.Command {
 			}
 
 			if clusterRecoverOpts.SkipK8sDqlite {
-				cmd.Printf("Skipping k8s-dqlite recovery.")
+				cmd.Printf("Skipping k8s-dqlite recovery.\n")
 			} else {
 				k8sDqlitePreRecoveryTarball, k8sDqlitePostRecoveryTarball, err := recoverK8sDqlite()
 				if err != nil {
-					return fmt.Errorf(
-						"failed to recover k8s-dqlite, error: %w, "+
-							"pre-recovery backup: %s",
-						err, k8sDqlitePreRecoveryTarball,
-					)
+					cmd.PrintErrf(
+						"Failed to recover k8s-dqlite, error: %v, "+
+							"pre-recovery backup: %s\n",
+						err, k8sDqlitePreRecoveryTarball)
+					env.Exit(1)
 				}
 				cmd.Printf("K8s-dqlite cluster changes applied.\n")
 				cmd.Printf("New database state saved to %s\n",
@@ -148,8 +151,6 @@ func newClusterRecoverCmd() *cobra.Command {
 					k8sDqlitePostRecoveryTarball, clusterRecoverOpts.K8sDqliteStateDir)
 				cmd.Printf("Pre-recovery database backup: %s\n\n", k8sDqlitePreRecoveryTarball)
 			}
-
-			return nil
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/k8s/cmd/main.go b/src/k8s/cmd/main.go
index 578449308..5e4b38bf1 100644
--- a/src/k8s/cmd/main.go
+++ b/src/k8s/cmd/main.go
@@ -30,14 +30,26 @@ func main() {
 
 	// choose command based on the binary name
 	base := filepath.Base(os.Args[0])
+	var err error
 	switch base {
 	case "k8s-apiserver-proxy":
-		k8s_apiserver_proxy.NewRootCmd(env).ExecuteContext(ctx)
+		err = k8s_apiserver_proxy.NewRootCmd(env).ExecuteContext(ctx)
 	case "k8sd":
-		k8sd.NewRootCmd(env).ExecuteContext(ctx)
+		err = k8sd.NewRootCmd(env).ExecuteContext(ctx)
 	case "k8s":
-		k8s.NewRootCmd(env).ExecuteContext(ctx)
+		err = k8s.NewRootCmd(env).ExecuteContext(ctx)
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid entrypoint name %q", base))
 	}
+
+	// Although k8s commands typically use Run instead of RunE and handle
+	// errors directly within the command execution, this acts as a safeguard in
+	// case any are overlooked.
+	//
+	// Furthermore, the Cobra framework may not invoke the "Run*" entry points
+	// at all in case of argument parsing errors, in which case we *need* to
+	// handle the errors here.
+	if err != nil {
+		env.Exit(1)
+	}
 }