diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ def copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename=Fa
             ui.warn(_('%s: not overwriting - %s collides with %s\n') %
                     (reltarget, repo.pathto(abssrc, cwd),
                      repo.pathto(prevsrc, cwd)))
-            return
+            return True # report a failure
 
         # check for overwrites
         exists = os.path.lexists(target)
@@ -1194,7 +1194,7 @@ def copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename=Fa
                 repo.dirstate.normalize(abstarget)):
                 if not rename:
                     ui.warn(_("%s: can't copy - same file\n") % reltarget)
-                    return
+                    return True # report a failure
                 exists = False
                 samefile = True
 
@@ -1220,7 +1220,7 @@ def copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename=Fa
                         hint = _("('hg copy --after' to record the copy)\n")
                 ui.warn(msg % reltarget)
                 ui.warn(hint)
-                return
+                return True # report a failure
 
         if after:
             if not exists:
@@ -1230,7 +1230,7 @@ def copy(ui, repo, pats, opts, rename=Fa
                 else:
                     ui.warn(_('%s: not recording copy - %s does not exist\n') %
                             (relsrc, reltarget))
-                return
+                return True # report a failure
         elif not dryrun:
             try:
                 if exists:
diff --git a/tests/test-copy.t b/tests/test-copy.t
--- a/tests/test-copy.t
+++ b/tests/test-copy.t
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ moving a missing file
 copy --after to a nonexistent target filename
   $ hg cp -A foo dummy
   foo: not recording copy - dummy does not exist
+  [1]
 
 dry-run; should show that foo is clean
   $ hg copy --dry-run foo bar
@@ -225,11 +226,13 @@ Trying to copy on top of an existing fil
   $ hg copy -A bar foo
   foo: not overwriting - file already committed
   ('hg copy --after --force' to replace the file by recording a copy)
+  [1]
 same error without the --after, so the user doesn't have to go through
 two hints:
   $ hg copy bar foo
   foo: not overwriting - file already committed
   ('hg copy --force' to replace the file by recording a copy)
+  [1]
 but it's considered modified after a copy --after --force
   $ hg copy -Af bar foo
   $ hg st -AC foo
@@ -241,5 +244,6 @@ mention --force:
   $ hg cp bar xyzzy
   xyzzy: not overwriting - file exists
   ('hg copy --after' to record the copy)
+  [1]
 
   $ cd ..
diff --git a/tests/test-rename.t b/tests/test-rename.t
--- a/tests/test-rename.t
+++ b/tests/test-rename.t
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ rename --after a single file to a nonexi
 
   $ hg rename --after d1/a dummy
   d1/a: not recording move - dummy does not exist
+  [1]
 
 move a single file to an existing directory
 
@@ -268,6 +269,7 @@ overwrite existing files (d2/b)
   d2/b: not overwriting - file already committed
   ('hg rename --force' to replace the file by recording a rename)
   moving d1/d11/a1 to d2/d11/a1
+  [1]
   $ hg status -C
   A d2/a
     d1/a
@@ -338,6 +340,7 @@ move --after some files under d1 to d2/d
   d1/b: not recording move - d2/d21/b does not exist
   d1/ba: not recording move - d2/d21/ba does not exist
   moving d1/d11/a1 to d2/d21/a1
+  [1]
   $ hg status -C
   A d2/d21/a
     d1/a
@@ -372,6 +375,7 @@ attempt to overwrite an existing file
   $ hg rename d1/ba d1/ca
   d1/ca: not overwriting - file exists
   ('hg rename --after' to record the rename)
+  [1]
   $ hg status -C
   ? d1/ca
   $ hg update -C
@@ -396,6 +400,7 @@ attempt to overwrite an existing broken 
   $ hg rename --traceback d1/ba d1/ca
   d1/ca: not overwriting - file exists
   ('hg rename --after' to record the rename)
+  [1]
   $ hg status -C
   ? d1/ca
   $ hg update -C
@@ -421,6 +426,7 @@ do not copy more than one source file to
   $ hg rename d1/* d2/* d3
   moving d1/d11/a1 to d3/d11/a1
   d3/b: not overwriting - d2/b collides with d1/b
+  [1]
   $ hg status -C
   A d3/a
     d1/a