diff --git a/bandit/cli/main.py b/bandit/cli/main.py
index d7dba2efa..ba35c5fdf 100644
--- a/bandit/cli/main.py
+++ b/bandit/cli/main.py
@@ -688,7 +688,21 @@ def main():
         args.msg_template,
     )
 
-    if (
+    skipped = getattr(b_mgr, "skipped", None)
+    if not isinstance(skipped, list):
+        skipped = []
+
+    has_scan_error = any(
+        isinstance(item, tuple)
+        and len(item) >= 2
+        and isinstance(item[1], str)
+        and "No such file or directory" in item[1]
+        for item in skipped
+    )
+
+    if has_scan_error:
+        sys.exit(1)
+    elif (
         b_mgr.results_count(sev_filter=sev_level, conf_filter=conf_level) > 0
         and not args.exit_zero
     ):
diff --git a/tests/functional/test_runtime.py b/tests/functional/test_runtime.py
index a9eb21608..a06ff3e24 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_runtime.py
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def test_example_nonexistent(self):
                 "nonexistent.py",
             ],
         )
-        self.assertEqual(0, retcode)
+        self.assertEqual(1, retcode)
         self.assertIn("Files skipped (1):", output)
         self.assertIn("nonexistent.py (No such file or directory", output)
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/test_main.py b/tests/unit/cli/test_main.py
index 98b95ec01..cc5e3508d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/test_main.py
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ def test_main_exit_with_results(self):
             self.assertRaisesRegex(SystemExit, "1", bandit.main)
 
     @mock.patch(
-        "sys.argv", ["bandit", "-c", "bandit.yaml", "test", "-o", "output"]
+        "sys.argv", ["bandit", "-c", "bandit.yaml", ".", "-o", "output"]
     )
     def test_main_exit_with_no_results(self):
         # Test that bandit exits when there are no results
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ def test_main_exit_with_no_results(self):
 
     @mock.patch(
         "sys.argv",
-        ["bandit", "-c", "bandit.yaml", "test", "-o", "output", "--exit-zero"],
+        ["bandit", "-c", "bandit.yaml", ".", "-o", "output", "--exit-zero"],
     )
     def test_main_exit_with_results_and_with_exit_zero_flag(self):
         # Test that bandit exits with 0 on results and zero flag
@@ -326,3 +326,15 @@ def test_main_exit_with_results_and_with_exit_zero_flag(self):
             mock_mgr_results_ct.return_value = 1
 
             self.assertRaisesRegex(SystemExit, "0", bandit.main)
+
+    @mock.patch(
+        "sys.argv",
+        ["bandit", "-c", "bandit.yaml", "nonexistent_dir", "-o", "output"],
+    )
+    def test_main_exit_with_invalid_target(self):
+        temp_directory = self.useFixture(fixtures.TempDir()).path
+        os.chdir(temp_directory)
+        with open("bandit.yaml", "w") as fd:
+            fd.write(bandit_config_content)
+
+        self.assertRaisesRegex(SystemExit, "1", bandit.main)