diff --git a/mercurial/commands.py b/mercurial/commands.py
--- a/mercurial/commands.py
+++ b/mercurial/commands.py
@@ -1620,6 +1620,7 @@ def locate(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     else:
         node = None
 
+    ret = 1
     for src, abs, rel, exact in cmdutil.walk(repo, pats, opts, node=node,
                                              default='relglob'):
         if not node and repo.dirstate.state(abs) == '?':
@@ -1628,6 +1629,9 @@ def locate(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
             ui.write(os.path.join(repo.root, abs), end)
         else:
             ui.write(((pats and rel) or abs), end)
+        ret = 0
+
+    return ret
 
 def log(ui, repo, *pats, **opts):
     """show revision history of entire repository or files
diff --git a/tests/test-locate b/tests/test-locate
--- a/tests/test-locate
+++ b/tests/test-locate
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ mkdir t
 echo 0 > t/x
 hg ci -A -m m -d "1000000 0"
 touch nottracked
-hg locate a
-hg locate NONEXISTENT
+hg locate a && echo locate succeeded || echo locate failed
+hg locate NONEXISTENT && echo locate succeeded || echo locate failed
 hg locate
 hg rm a
 hg ci -m m -d "1000000 0"
diff --git a/tests/test-locate.out b/tests/test-locate.out
--- a/tests/test-locate.out
+++ b/tests/test-locate.out
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ adding b
 adding t.h
 adding t/x
 a
+locate succeeded
+locate failed
 a
 b
 t.h