diff --git a/src/scripts/starttask.sh b/src/scripts/starttask.sh
index b5c01a8b1..71a5b0e7a 100755
--- a/src/scripts/starttask.sh
+++ b/src/scripts/starttask.sh
@@ -44,10 +44,12 @@ fi
 
 # DEBUG has to be hardcoded because it is not set in the tests. --setenv is required for ubuntu 16 (-E does not work)
 # NODE_OPTIONS is used because env -S does not work in ubuntu 16/18.
-systemd-run --unit "${service_name}" --nice "${nice}" --uid=${id} --gid=${id} ${options} \
-    --setenv HOME=${HOME} --setenv USER=${SUDO_USER} --setenv DEBUG=box:* --setenv BOX_ENV=${BOX_ENV} --setenv NODE_ENV=production --setenv NODE_OPTIONS=--unhandled-rejections=strict \
-    "${task_worker}" "${task_id}" "${logfile}"
-exit_code=$?
+# it seems systemd-run does not return the exit status of the process despite --wait
+if ! systemd-run --unit "${service_name}" --nice "${nice}" --uid=${id} --gid=${id} ${options} --setenv HOME=${HOME} --setenv USER=${SUDO_USER} --setenv DEBUG=box:* --setenv BOX_ENV=${BOX_ENV} --setenv NODE_ENV=production --setenv NODE_OPTIONS=--unhandled-rejections=strict "${task_worker}" "${task_id}" "${logfile}"; then
+        echo "Service ${service_name} failed to run" # this only happens if the path to task worker itself is wrong
+fi
+
+exit_code=$(systemctl show "${service_name}" -p ExecMainCode | sed 's/ExecMainCode=//g')
 
 echo "Service ${service_name} finished with exit code ${exit_code}"
 exit "${exit_code}"
diff --git a/src/tasks.js b/src/tasks.js
index c0ee9d6a2..8721e039e 100644
--- a/src/tasks.js
+++ b/src/tasks.js
@@ -171,9 +171,8 @@ function startTask(id, options, callback) {
         if (!gTasks[id]) return; // ignore task exit since we are shutting down. see stopAllTasks
 
         const code = sudoError ? sudoError.code : 0;
-        const signal = sudoError ? sudoError.signal : 0;
 
-        debug(`startTask: ${id} completed with code ${code} and signal ${signal}`);
+        debug(`startTask: ${id} completed with code ${code}`);
 
         if (options.timeout) clearTimeout(killTimerId);
 
@@ -186,9 +185,9 @@ function startTask(id, options, callback) {
                     message: `Task ${id} ${timedOut ? 'timed out' : 'stopped'}` ,
                     code: timedOut ? exports.ETIMEOUT : exports.ESTOPPED
                 };
-            } else { // task crashed
+            } else { // task crashed. for code, maybe we can check systemctl show box-task-1707 -p ExecMainStatus
                 taskError = {
-                    message: signal === 9 ? `Task ${id} crashed as it ran out of memory` : `Task ${id} crashed with code ${code} and signal ${signal}`,
+                    message: code === 2 ? `Task ${id} crashed as it ran out of memory` : `Task ${id} crashed with code ${code}`,
                     code: exports.ECRASHED
                 };
             }