diff --git a/builtin/bisect--helper.c b/builtin/bisect--helper.c
index 05cab468e3..180c2faa7f 100644
--- a/builtin/bisect--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/bisect--helper.c
@@ -1141,17 +1141,17 @@ static int get_first_good(const char *refname UNUSED,
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int do_bisect_run(const char *command, const char *unquoted_cmd)
+static int do_bisect_run(const char *command)
 {
 	struct child_process cmd = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 
-	printf(_("running %s\n"), unquoted_cmd);
+	printf(_("running %s\n"), command);
 	cmd.use_shell = 1;
 	strvec_push(&cmd.args, command);
 	return run_command(&cmd);
 }
 
-static int verify_good(const struct bisect_terms *terms, const char *command, const char *unquoted_cmd)
+static int verify_good(const struct bisect_terms *terms, const char *command)
 {
 	int rc;
 	enum bisect_error res;
@@ -1171,7 +1171,7 @@ static int verify_good(const struct bisect_terms *terms, const char *command, co
 	if (res != BISECT_OK)
 		return -1;
 
-	rc = do_bisect_run(command, unquoted_cmd);
+	rc = do_bisect_run(command);
 
 	res = bisect_checkout(&current_rev, no_checkout);
 	if (res != BISECT_OK)
@@ -1184,7 +1184,6 @@ static int bisect_run(struct bisect_terms *terms, const char **argv, int argc)
 {
 	int res = BISECT_OK;
 	struct strbuf command = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct strbuf unquoted = STRBUF_INIT;
 	const char *new_state;
 	int temporary_stdout_fd, saved_stdout;
 	int is_first_run = 1;
@@ -1198,9 +1197,9 @@ static int bisect_run(struct bisect_terms *terms, const char **argv, int argc)
 	}
 
 	sq_quote_argv(&command, argv);
-	strbuf_join_argv(&unquoted, argc, argv,' ');
+	strbuf_ltrim(&command);
 	while (1) {
-		res = do_bisect_run(command.buf, unquoted.buf);
+		res = do_bisect_run(command.buf);
 
 		/*
 		 * Exit code 126 and 127 can either come from the shell
@@ -1210,11 +1209,11 @@ static int bisect_run(struct bisect_terms *terms, const char **argv, int argc)
 		 * missing or non-executable script.
 		 */
 		if (is_first_run && (res == 126 || res == 127)) {
-			int rc = verify_good(terms, command.buf, unquoted.buf);
+			int rc = verify_good(terms, command.buf);
 			is_first_run = 0;
 			if (rc < 0) {
-				error(_("unable to verify '%s' on good"
-					" revision"), unquoted.buf);
+				error(_("unable to verify %s on good"
+					" revision"), command.buf);
 				res = BISECT_FAILED;
 				break;
 			}
@@ -1228,7 +1227,7 @@ static int bisect_run(struct bisect_terms *terms, const char **argv, int argc)
 
 		if (res < 0 || 128 <= res) {
 			error(_("bisect run failed: exit code %d from"
-				" '%s' is < 0 or >= 128"), res, unquoted.buf);
+				" %s is < 0 or >= 128"), res, command.buf);
 			break;
 		}
 
@@ -1265,7 +1264,7 @@ static int bisect_run(struct bisect_terms *terms, const char **argv, int argc)
 			puts(_("bisect run success"));
 			res = BISECT_OK;
 		} else if (res == BISECT_INTERNAL_SUCCESS_1ST_BAD_FOUND) {
-			puts(_("bisect run success"));
+			puts(_("bisect found first bad commit"));
 			res = BISECT_OK;
 		} else if (res) {
 			error(_("bisect run failed: 'bisect-state %s'"
@@ -1276,7 +1275,6 @@ static int bisect_run(struct bisect_terms *terms, const char **argv, int argc)
 		break;
 	}
 
-	strbuf_release(&unquoted);
 	strbuf_release(&command);
 	return res;
 }
diff --git a/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh b/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh
index a3dc5c8140..34fd45a48e 100755
--- a/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh
+++ b/t/t6030-bisect-porcelain.sh
@@ -288,9 +288,9 @@ test_bisect_run_args () {
 test_expect_success 'git bisect run: args, stdout and stderr with no arguments' "
 	test_bisect_run_args <<-'EOF_ARGS' 6<<-EOF_OUT 7<<-'EOF_ERR'
 	EOF_ARGS
-	running ./run.sh
+	running './run.sh'
 	$HASH4 is the first bad commit
-	bisect run success
+	bisect found first bad commit
 	EOF_OUT
 	EOF_ERR
 "
@@ -299,9 +299,9 @@ test_expect_success 'git bisect run: args, stdout and stderr: "--" argument' "
 	test_bisect_run_args -- <<-'EOF_ARGS' 6<<-EOF_OUT 7<<-'EOF_ERR'
 	<-->
 	EOF_ARGS
-	running ./run.sh --
+	running './run.sh' '--'
 	$HASH4 is the first bad commit
-	bisect run success
+	bisect found first bad commit
 	EOF_OUT
 	EOF_ERR
 "
@@ -313,9 +313,9 @@ test_expect_success 'git bisect run: args, stdout and stderr: "--log foo --no-lo
 	<--no-log>
 	<bar>
 	EOF_ARGS
-	running ./run.sh --log foo --no-log bar
+	running './run.sh' '--log' 'foo' '--no-log' 'bar'
 	$HASH4 is the first bad commit
-	bisect run success
+	bisect found first bad commit
 	EOF_OUT
 	EOF_ERR
 "
@@ -324,13 +324,52 @@ test_expect_success 'git bisect run: args, stdout and stderr: "--bisect-start" a
 	test_bisect_run_args --bisect-start <<-'EOF_ARGS' 6<<-EOF_OUT 7<<-'EOF_ERR'
 	<--bisect-start>
 	EOF_ARGS
-	running ./run.sh --bisect-start
+	running './run.sh' '--bisect-start'
 	$HASH4 is the first bad commit
-	bisect run success
+	bisect found first bad commit
 	EOF_OUT
 	EOF_ERR
 "
 
+test_expect_success 'git bisect run: negative exit code' "
+	write_script fail.sh <<-'EOF' &&
+	exit 255
+	EOF
+	cat <<-'EOF' >expect &&
+	bisect run failed: exit code -1 from './fail.sh' is < 0 or >= 128
+	EOF
+	test_when_finished 'git bisect reset' &&
+	git bisect start &&
+	git bisect good $HASH1 &&
+	git bisect bad $HASH4 &&
+	! git bisect run ./fail.sh 2>err &&
+	sed -En 's/.*(bisect.*code) (-?[0-9]+) (from.*)/\1 -1 \3/p' err >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+"
+
+test_expect_failure 'git bisect run: unable to verify on good' "
+	write_script fail.sh <<-'EOF' &&
+	head=\$(git rev-parse --verify HEAD)
+	good=\$(git rev-parse --verify $HASH1)
+	if test "\$head" = "\$good"
+	then
+		exit 255
+	else
+		exit 127
+	fi
+	EOF
+	cat <<-'EOF' >expect &&
+	unable to verify './fail.sh' on good revision
+	EOF
+	test_when_finished 'git bisect reset' &&
+	git bisect start &&
+	git bisect good $HASH1 &&
+	git bisect bad $HASH4 &&
+	! git bisect run ./fail.sh 2>err &&
+	sed -n 's/.*\(unable to verify.*\)/\1/p' err >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+"
+
 # We want to automatically find the commit that
 # added "Another" into hello.
 test_expect_success '"git bisect run" simple case' '