return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
-   if (notmuch_database_open (notmuch_config_get_database_path (config),
-                              NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE, ¬much))
-       return EXIT_FAILURE;
+    status = notmuch_database_open (notmuch_config_get_database_path (config),
+                                   NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_WRITE, ¬much);
+    if (status)
+       return keep ? NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS : status_to_exit (status);
 
     notmuch_exit_if_unmatched_db_uuid (notmuch);
 
        notmuch_run_hook (db_path, "post-insert");
     }
 
-    return status ? EXIT_FAILURE : EXIT_SUCCESS;
+    return status_to_exit (status);
 }
 
     }
     return status;
 }
+
+int
+status_to_exit (notmuch_status_t status)
+{
+    switch (status) {
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS:
+       return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_OUT_OF_MEMORY:
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_XAPIAN_EXCEPTION:
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_DUPLICATE_MESSAGE_ID:
+    case NOTMUCH_STATUS_FILE_ERROR:
+       return EX_TEMPFAIL;
+    default:
+       return EXIT_FAILURE;
+    }
+}
 
 
 for code in OUT_OF_MEMORY XAPIAN_EXCEPTION FILE_NOT_EMAIL \
     READ_ONLY_DATABASE UPGRADE_REQUIRED PATH_ERROR; do
-gen_insert_msg
 cat <<EOF > index-file-$code.gdb
 set breakpoint pending on
 set logging file index-file-$code.log
 end
 run
 EOF
-test_begin_subtest "error exit when add_message returns $code"
-gdb --batch-silent --return-child-result \
-    -ex "set args insert < $gen_msg_filename" \
-    -x index-file-$code.gdb notmuch
-test_expect_equal $? 1
-
-test_begin_subtest "success exit with --keep when add_message returns $code"
-gdb --batch-silent --return-child-result \
-    -ex "set args insert --keep < $gen_msg_filename" \
-    -x index-file-$code.gdb notmuch
-test_expect_equal $? 0
+done
+
+gen_insert_msg
+
+for code in  FILE_NOT_EMAIL READ_ONLY_DATABASE UPGRADE_REQUIRED PATH_ERROR; do
+    test_expect_code 1 "EXIT_FAILURE when add_message returns $code" \
+         "gdb --batch-silent --return-child-result \
+            -ex 'set args insert < $gen_msg_filename' \
+            -x index-file-$code.gdb notmuch"
+    test_expect_code 0 "success exit with --keep when add_message returns $code" \
+         "gdb --batch-silent --return-child-result \
+            -ex 'set args insert --keep < $gen_msg_filename' \
+            -x index-file-$code.gdb notmuch"
+done
+
+for code in OUT_OF_MEMORY XAPIAN_EXCEPTION ; do
+    test_expect_code 75 "EX_TEMPFAIL when add_message returns $code" \
+         "gdb --batch-silent --return-child-result \
+            -ex 'set args insert < $gen_msg_filename' \
+            -x index-file-$code.gdb notmuch"
+    test_expect_code 0 "success exit with --keep when add_message returns $code" \
+         "gdb --batch-silent --return-child-result \
+            -ex 'set args insert --keep < $gen_msg_filename' \
+            -x index-file-$code.gdb notmuch"
 done
 
 test_done