diff --git a/cmd/gh/main.go b/cmd/gh/main.go
index e20452808..7da84d9fc 100644
--- a/cmd/gh/main.go
+++ b/cmd/gh/main.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	surveyCore "github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2/core"
+	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2/terminal"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/api"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/internal/build"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/internal/config"
@@ -32,7 +33,21 @@ import (
 
 var updaterEnabled = ""
 
+type exitCode int
+
+const (
+	exitOK     exitCode = 0
+	exitError  exitCode = 1
+	exitCancel exitCode = 2
+	exitAuth   exitCode = 4
+)
+
 func main() {
+	code := mainRun()
+	os.Exit(int(code))
+}
+
+func mainRun() exitCode {
 	buildDate := build.Date
 	buildVersion := build.Version
 
@@ -78,7 +93,7 @@ func main() {
 	cfg, err := cmdFactory.Config()
 	if err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "failed to read configuration:  %s\n", err)
-		os.Exit(2)
+		return exitError
 	}
 
 	if prompt, _ := cfg.Get("", "prompt"); prompt == "disabled" {
@@ -102,7 +117,7 @@ func main() {
 		expandedArgs, isShell, err = expand.ExpandAlias(cfg, os.Args, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "failed to process aliases:  %s\n", err)
-			os.Exit(2)
+			return exitError
 		}
 
 		if hasDebug {
@@ -113,7 +128,7 @@ func main() {
 			exe, err := safeexec.LookPath(expandedArgs[0])
 			if err != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "failed to run external command: %s", err)
-				os.Exit(3)
+				return exitError
 			}
 
 			externalCmd := exec.Command(exe, expandedArgs[1:]...)
@@ -125,14 +140,14 @@ func main() {
 			err = preparedCmd.Run()
 			if err != nil {
 				if ee, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
-					os.Exit(ee.ExitCode())
+					return exitCode(ee.ExitCode())
 				}
 
 				fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "failed to run external command: %s", err)
-				os.Exit(3)
+				return exitError
 			}
 
-			os.Exit(0)
+			return exitOK
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -142,23 +157,33 @@ func main() {
 		fmt.Fprintln(stderr, cs.Bold("Welcome to GitHub CLI!"))
 		fmt.Fprintln(stderr)
 		fmt.Fprintln(stderr, "To authenticate, please run `gh auth login`.")
-		os.Exit(4)
+		return exitAuth
 	}
 
 	rootCmd.SetArgs(expandedArgs)
 
 	if cmd, err := rootCmd.ExecuteC(); err != nil {
+		if err == cmdutil.SilentError {
+			return exitError
+		} else if cmdutil.IsUserCancellation(err) {
+			if errors.Is(err, terminal.InterruptErr) {
+				// ensure the next shell prompt will start on its own line
+				fmt.Fprint(stderr, "\n")
+			}
+			return exitCancel
+		}
+
 		printError(stderr, err, cmd, hasDebug)
 
 		var httpErr api.HTTPError
 		if errors.As(err, &httpErr) && httpErr.StatusCode == 401 {
-			fmt.Println("hint: try authenticating with `gh auth login`")
+			fmt.Fprintln(stderr, "hint: try authenticating with `gh auth login`")
 		}
 
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return exitError
 	}
 	if root.HasFailed() {
-		os.Exit(1)
+		return exitError
 	}
 
 	newRelease := <-updateMessageChan
@@ -169,7 +194,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 		if isHomebrew && isRecentRelease(newRelease.PublishedAt) {
 			// do not notify Homebrew users before the version bump had a chance to get merged into homebrew-core
-			return
+			return exitOK
 		}
 		fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "\n\n%s %s → %s\n",
 			ansi.Color("A new release of gh is available:", "yellow"),
@@ -181,13 +206,11 @@ func main() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(stderr, "%s\n\n",
 			ansi.Color(newRelease.URL, "yellow"))
 	}
+
+	return exitOK
 }
 
 func printError(out io.Writer, err error, cmd *cobra.Command, debug bool) {
-	if err == cmdutil.SilentError {
-		return
-	}
-
 	var dnsError *net.DNSError
 	if errors.As(err, &dnsError) {
 		fmt.Fprintf(out, "error connecting to %s\n", dnsError.Name)
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
index 27df4a104..bafc0095d 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit.go
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ func editRun(opts *EditOptions) error {
 		case "Submit":
 			stop = true
 		case "Cancel":
-			return cmdutil.SilentError
+			return cmdutil.CancelError
 		}
 
 		if stop {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go
index 73a53e523..5f6f0b7f2 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/gist/edit/edit_test.go
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func Test_editRun(t *testing.T) {
 				as.StubOne("unix.md")
 				as.StubOne("Cancel")
 			},
-			wantErr: "SilentError",
+			wantErr: "CancelError",
 			gist: &shared.Gist{
 				ID: "1234",
 				Files: map[string]*shared.GistFile{
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/issue/create/create.go b/pkg/cmd/issue/create/create.go
index 6bf9356c6..44ae3eb98 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/issue/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/issue/create/create.go
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) (err error) {
 
 		if action == prShared.CancelAction {
 			fmt.Fprintln(opts.IO.ErrOut, "Discarding.")
+			err = cmdutil.CancelError
 			return
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go
index 08ea04d94..0de13bd49 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/create/create.go
@@ -311,7 +311,8 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) (err error) {
 
 	if action == shared.CancelAction {
 		fmt.Fprintln(opts.IO.ErrOut, "Discarding.")
-		return nil
+		err = cmdutil.CancelError
+		return
 	}
 
 	err = handlePush(*opts, *ctx)
@@ -553,7 +554,7 @@ func NewCreateContext(opts *CreateOptions) (*CreateContext, error) {
 		} else if pushOptions[selectedOption] == "Skip pushing the branch" {
 			isPushEnabled = false
 		} else if pushOptions[selectedOption] == "Cancel" {
-			return nil, cmdutil.SilentError
+			return nil, cmdutil.CancelError
 		} else {
 			// "Create a fork of ..."
 			if baseRepo.IsPrivate {
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge.go
index c979a7f91..3b5a10b5b 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge.go
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ func mergeRun(opts *MergeOptions) error {
 			}
 			if action == shared.CancelAction {
 				fmt.Fprintln(opts.IO.ErrOut, "Cancelled.")
-				return cmdutil.SilentError
+				return cmdutil.CancelError
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge_test.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge_test.go
index 538f75056..78f195497 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/merge/merge_test.go
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ func TestPRMerge_interactiveCancelled(t *testing.T) {
 	as.StubOne("Cancel") // Confirm submit survey
 
 	output, err := runCommand(http, "blueberries", true, "")
-	if !errors.Is(err, cmdutil.SilentError) {
+	if !errors.Is(err, cmdutil.CancelError) {
 		t.Fatalf("got error %v", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/preserve.go b/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/preserve.go
index 4105823cd..6d3c32965 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/preserve.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/pr/shared/preserve.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
+	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/cli/cli/pkg/iostreams"
 )
 
@@ -18,6 +19,11 @@ func PreserveInput(io *iostreams.IOStreams, state *IssueMetadataState, createErr
 			return
 		}
 
+		if cmdutil.IsUserCancellation(*createErr) {
+			// these errors are user-initiated cancellations
+			return
+		}
+
 		out := io.ErrOut
 
 		// this extra newline guards against appending to the end of a survey line
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go b/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go
index cab6292c7..18f06d2ac 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/release/create/create.go
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ func createRun(opts *CreateOptions) error {
 		case "Save as draft":
 			opts.Draft = true
 		case "Cancel":
-			return cmdutil.SilentError
+			return cmdutil.CancelError
 		default:
 			return fmt.Errorf("invalid action: %v", opts.SubmitAction)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/release/delete/delete.go b/pkg/cmd/release/delete/delete.go
index fde3fbcee..c880f9d58 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/release/delete/delete.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/release/delete/delete.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func deleteRun(opts *DeleteOptions) error {
 		}
 
 		if !confirmed {
-			return cmdutil.SilentError
+			return cmdutil.CancelError
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmdutil/errors.go b/pkg/cmdutil/errors.go
index 77ca58340..aa33e98ef 100644
--- a/pkg/cmdutil/errors.go
+++ b/pkg/cmdutil/errors.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package cmdutil
 
-import "errors"
+import (
+	"errors"
+
+	"github.com/AlecAivazis/survey/v2/terminal"
+)
 
 // FlagError is the kind of error raised in flag processing
 type FlagError struct {
@@ -17,3 +21,10 @@ func (fe FlagError) Unwrap() error {
 
 // SilentError is an error that triggers exit code 1 without any error messaging
 var SilentError = errors.New("SilentError")
+
+// CancelError signals user-initiated cancellation
+var CancelError = errors.New("CancelError")
+
+func IsUserCancellation(err error) bool {
+	return errors.Is(err, CancelError) || errors.Is(err, terminal.InterruptErr)
+}