diff --git a/common-main.c b/common-main.c
index 0000000000..0000000000 100644
--- a/common-main.c
+++ b/common-main.c
@@ -1,6 +1,27 @@
 #include "git-compat-util.h"
 #include "common-init.h"
 
+#ifdef GITHUG_EMBEDDED_MAIN
+void githug_exit(int code)
+{
+	code &= 0xff;
+	fflush(stdout);
+	fflush(stderr);
+	_exit(code);
+}
+
+int githug_git_main(int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+	int result;
+
+	init_git(argv);
+	result = cmd_main(argc, argv);
+
+	/* Match Git's real main(), but return instead of calling libc exit(). */
+	return common_exit(__FILE__, __LINE__, result);
+}
+#endif
+
 int main(int argc, const char **argv)
 {
 	int result;
diff --git a/git-compat-util.h b/git-compat-util.h
index 0000000000..0000000000 100644
--- a/git-compat-util.h
+++ b/git-compat-util.h
@@ -1047,7 +1047,12 @@ int cmd_main(int, const char **);
  * optionally emit a message before calling the real exit().
  */
 int common_exit(const char *file, int line, int code);
+#ifdef GITHUG_EMBEDDED_MAIN
+NORETURN void githug_exit(int code);
+#define exit(code) githug_exit(common_exit(__FILE__, __LINE__, (code)))
+#else
 #define exit(code) exit(common_exit(__FILE__, __LINE__, (code)))
+#endif
 
 /*
  * This include must come after system headers, since it introduces macros that