diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/cat.go b/cmd/hdfs/cat.go
index 488cb07..3bfa58f 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/cat.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/cat.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 var tailSearchSize int64 = 16384
 
-func cat(paths []string) int {
+func cat(paths []string) {
 	expanded, client, err := getClientAndExpandedPaths(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
@@ -33,11 +33,9 @@ func cat(paths []string) int {
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }
 
-func printSection(paths []string, numLines, numBytes int64, fromEnd bool) int {
+func printSection(paths []string, numLines, numBytes int64, fromEnd bool) {
 	if numLines != -1 && numBytes != -1 {
 		fatal("You can't specify both -n and -c.")
 	} else if numLines == -1 && numBytes == -1 {
@@ -49,7 +47,6 @@ func printSection(paths []string, numLines, numBytes int64, fromEnd bool) int {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	status := 0
 	for _, p := range expanded {
 		file, err := client.Open(p)
 		if err != nil || file.Stat().IsDir() {
@@ -82,8 +79,6 @@ func printSection(paths []string, numLines, numBytes int64, fromEnd bool) int {
 			io.Copy(os.Stdout, reader)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return status
 }
 
 func headLines(file *hdfs.FileReader, numLines int64) {
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/checksum.go b/cmd/hdfs/checksum.go
index 36fedde..eb83271 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/checksum.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/checksum.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 )
 
-func checksum(paths []string) int {
+func checksum(paths []string) {
 	expanded, client, err := getClientAndExpandedPaths(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
@@ -24,6 +24,4 @@ func checksum(paths []string) int {
 
 		fmt.Println(hex.EncodeToString(checksum), p)
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/chmod.go b/cmd/hdfs/chmod.go
index 2c76607..1bc2567 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/chmod.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/chmod.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 )
 
-func chmod(args []string, recursive bool) int {
+func chmod(args []string, recursive bool) {
 	if len(args) < 2 {
 		printHelp()
 	}
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ func chmod(args []string, recursive bool) int {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	status := 0
 	visit := func(p string, fi os.FileInfo) {
 		err := client.Chmod(p, os.FileMode(mode))
 
@@ -47,6 +46,4 @@ func chmod(args []string, recursive bool) int {
 			visit(p, info)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return status
 }
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/chown.go b/cmd/hdfs/chown.go
index 1167ebc..6afc921 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/chown.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/chown.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
-func chown(args []string, recursive bool) int {
+func chown(args []string, recursive bool) {
 	if len(args) < 2 {
 		printHelp()
 	}
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ func chown(args []string, recursive bool) int {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	status := 0
 	visit := func(p string, fi os.FileInfo) {
 		err := client.Chown(p, owner, group)
 
@@ -56,6 +55,4 @@ func chown(args []string, recursive bool) int {
 			visit(p, info)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return status
 }
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/get.go b/cmd/hdfs/get.go
index 7e6f773..4846444 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/get.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/get.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
-func get(args []string) int {
+func get(args []string) {
 	if len(args) == 0 || len(args) > 2 {
 		printHelp()
 	}
@@ -59,11 +59,9 @@ func get(args []string) int {
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }
 
-func getmerge(args []string, addNewlines bool) int {
+func getmerge(args []string, addNewlines bool) {
 	if len(args) != 2 {
 		printHelp()
 	}
@@ -112,6 +110,4 @@ func getmerge(args []string, addNewlines bool) int {
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/ls.go b/cmd/hdfs/ls.go
index 2d808a0..72825c4 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/ls.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/ls.go
@@ -6,13 +6,13 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path"
-	"strings"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"text/tabwriter"
 	"time"
 )
 
-func ls(paths []string, long, all, humanReadable bool) int {
+func ls(paths []string, long, all, humanReadable bool) {
 	paths, client, err := getClientAndExpandedPaths(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ func ls(paths []string, long, all, humanReadable bool) int {
 			printDir(client, dir, long, all, humanReadable)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }
 
 func printDir(client *hdfs.Client, dir string, long, all, humanReadable bool) {
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/main.go b/cmd/hdfs/main.go
index 95fdcb4..c0fd771 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/main.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/main.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ Valid commands:
 	getmergen    = getmergeOpts.Bool('n')
 
 	cachedClient *hdfs.Client
+	status = 0
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -81,41 +82,40 @@ func main() {
 
 	command := os.Args[1]
 	argv := os.Args[1:]
-	status := 0
 	switch command {
 	case "ls":
 		lsOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = ls(lsOpts.Args(), *lsl, *lsa, *lsh)
+		ls(lsOpts.Args(), *lsl, *lsa, *lsh)
 	case "rm":
 		rmOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = rm(rmOpts.Args(), *rmr, *rmf)
+		rm(rmOpts.Args(), *rmr, *rmf)
 	case "mv":
 		mvOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = mv(mvOpts.Args(), *mvf, *mvT)
+		mv(mvOpts.Args(), *mvf, *mvT)
 	case "mkdir":
 		mkdirOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = mkdir(mkdirOpts.Args(), *mkdirp)
+		mkdir(mkdirOpts.Args(), *mkdirp)
 	case "touch":
 		touchOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = touch(touchOpts.Args(), *touchc)
+		touch(touchOpts.Args(), *touchc)
 	case "chown":
 		chownOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = chown(chownOpts.Args(), *chownR)
+		chown(chownOpts.Args(), *chownR)
 	case "chmod":
 		chmodOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = chmod(chmodOpts.Args(), *chmodR)
+		chmod(chmodOpts.Args(), *chmodR)
 	case "cat":
-		status = cat(argv[1:])
+		cat(argv[1:])
 	case "head", "tail":
 		headTailOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = printSection(headTailOpts.Args(), *headtailn, *headtailc, (command == "tail"))
+		printSection(headTailOpts.Args(), *headtailn, *headtailc, (command == "tail"))
 	case "checksum":
-		status = checksum(argv[1:])
+		checksum(argv[1:])
 	case "get":
-		status = get(argv[1:])
+		get(argv[1:])
 	case "getmerge":
 		getmergeOpts.Parse(argv)
-		status = getmerge(getmergeOpts.Args(), *getmergen)
+		getmerge(getmergeOpts.Args(), *getmergen)
 	// it's a seeeeecret command
 	case "complete":
 		complete(argv)
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/mkdir.go b/cmd/hdfs/mkdir.go
index 1189374..11ce1bf 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/mkdir.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/mkdir.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 )
 
-func mkdir(paths []string, all bool) int {
+func mkdir(paths []string, all bool) {
 	paths, nn, err := normalizePaths(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
@@ -35,6 +35,4 @@ func mkdir(paths []string, all bool) int {
 			fatal(err)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/mv.go b/cmd/hdfs/mv.go
index 3a88549..6b419e7 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/mv.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/mv.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 )
 
-func mv(paths []string, force, treatDestAsFile bool) int {
+func mv(paths []string, force, treatDestAsFile bool) {
 	paths, nn, err := normalizePaths(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ func mv(paths []string, force, treatDestAsFile bool) int {
 
 		moveTo(client, sources[0], dest, force)
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }
 
 func moveInto(client *hdfs.Client, sources []string, dest string, force bool) {
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/rm.go b/cmd/hdfs/rm.go
index 2b38b39..18a8d6d 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/rm.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/rm.go
@@ -6,13 +6,12 @@ import (
 	"os"
 )
 
-func rm(paths []string, recursive bool, force bool) int {
+func rm(paths []string, recursive bool, force bool) {
 	expanded, client, err := getClientAndExpandedPaths(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	status := 0
 	for _, p := range expanded {
 		info, err := client.Stat(p)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -40,6 +39,4 @@ func rm(paths []string, recursive bool, force bool) int {
 			fatal(err)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return status
 }
diff --git a/cmd/hdfs/touch.go b/cmd/hdfs/touch.go
index bdff583..9dbc6a2 100644
--- a/cmd/hdfs/touch.go
+++ b/cmd/hdfs/touch.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
-func touch(paths []string, noCreate bool) int {
+func touch(paths []string, noCreate bool) {
 	paths, nn, err := normalizePaths(paths)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
@@ -45,6 +45,4 @@ func touch(paths []string, noCreate bool) int {
 			fatal(err)
 		}
 	}
-
-	return 0
 }