diff --git a/gash/built-ins/break.scm b/gash/built-ins/break.scm
index 30fdba8..817a312 100644
--- a/gash/built-ins/break.scm
+++ b/gash/built-ins/break.scm
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@
                    "gash: break: argument must be a positive integer~%")
            EXIT_FAILURE)
        (n (set-status! 0)
-          (sh:break (1- n)))))
+          (sh:break (1- n))
+          (format (current-error-port)
+                  "gash: break: no loop to break from~%")
+          EXIT_SUCCESS)))
     (_ (format (current-error-port)
                "gash: break: too many arguments~%")
        EXIT_FAILURE)))
diff --git a/gash/built-ins/continue.scm b/gash/built-ins/continue.scm
index 53b46ba..8dd9141 100644
--- a/gash/built-ins/continue.scm
+++ b/gash/built-ins/continue.scm
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@
                    "gash: continue: argument must be a positive integer~%")
            EXIT_FAILURE)
        (n (set-status! 0)
-          (sh:continue (1- n)))))
+          (sh:continue (1- n))
+          (format (current-error-port)
+                  "gash: continue: no loop to continue from~%")
+          EXIT_SUCCESS)))
     (_ (format (current-error-port)
                "gash: continue: too many arguments~%")
        EXIT_FAILURE)))
diff --git a/gash/built-ins/return.scm b/gash/built-ins/return.scm
index 87b55b6..4369820 100644
--- a/gash/built-ins/return.scm
+++ b/gash/built-ins/return.scm
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@
        (#f (format (current-error-port)
                    "gash: return: argument must be a number from 0 to 255~%")
            EXIT_FAILURE)
-       (n (sh:return n))))
+       (n (sh:return n)
+          (format (current-error-port)
+                  (string-append "gash: return: no function "
+                                 "or sourced script to return from~%"))
+          EXIT_SUCCESS)))
     (_ (format (current-error-port)
                "gash: return: too many arguments~%")
        EXIT_FAILURE)))
diff --git a/gash/environment.scm b/gash/environment.scm
index a8338b8..c545511 100644
--- a/gash/environment.scm
+++ b/gash/environment.scm
@@ -334,8 +334,9 @@ exit the dynamic extent of @var{thunk}."
 
 (define* (sh:continue #:optional (n 0))
   "Exit to the closest invocation of @code{call-with-continue}.  If
-@var{n} is set, exit to the @math{n + 1}th closest invocation."
-  (abort-to-prompt *continue-tag* n))
+@var{n} is set, exit to the @math{n + 1}th closest invocation.  If not
+called from within @code{call-with-continue}, return @code{#f}."
+  (false-if-exception (abort-to-prompt *continue-tag* n)))
 
 (define *break-tag* (make-prompt-tag))
 
@@ -351,8 +352,9 @@ exit the dynamic extent of @var{thunk}."
 
 (define* (sh:break #:optional (n 0))
   "Exit to the closest invocation of @code{call-with-break}.  If
-@var{n} is set, exit to the @math{n + 1}th closest invocation."
-  (abort-to-prompt *break-tag* n))
+@var{n} is set, exit to the @math{n + 1}th closest invocation.  If not
+called from within @code{call-with-break}, return @code{#f}."
+  (false-if-exception (abort-to-prompt *break-tag* n)))
 
 (define *return-tag* (make-prompt-tag))
 
@@ -367,8 +369,9 @@ exit the dynamic extent of @var{thunk}."
 (define* (sh:return #:optional (status (get-status)))
   "Exit to the closest invocation of @code{call-with-return} setting
 status to @var{status}.  If @var{status} is not set, keep the current
-status."
-  (abort-to-prompt *return-tag* status))
+status.  If not called from within @code{call-with-return}, return
+@code{#f}."
+  (false-if-exception (abort-to-prompt *return-tag* status)))
 
 (define *atexit* #f)
 (define *exiting?* #f)
diff --git a/tests/functions.org b/tests/functions.org
index af9ef71..7248179 100644
--- a/tests/functions.org
+++ b/tests/functions.org
@@ -83,3 +83,10 @@
   foo
 #+end_src
 :status: 1
+
+* Top-level return
+:script:
+#+begin_src sh
+  return
+#+end_src
+:status: 0
diff --git a/tests/spec/oil.scm b/tests/spec/oil.scm
index 8b33057..dc91d65 100644
--- a/tests/spec/oil.scm
+++ b/tests/spec/oil.scm
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@
                       ("while in pipe with subshell"
                        ("\\$\\(\\(i\\+1\\)\\)" "$(expr $i + 1)"))
                       ;; Gash needs to be fixed to pass these tests.
-                      ("continue at top level")
                       ("continue in subshell")
                       ("continue in subshell aborts with errexit")
                       ;; The Oil shell handles this statically.  We