diff --git a/autobuild.pl b/autobuild.pl
index d858e8c16..ac1a48b79 100755
--- a/autobuild.pl
+++ b/autobuild.pl
@@ -853,15 +853,44 @@ (\%)
         }
       }
 
-      if ($command_table{$NAME}->Run ($OPTIONS, $args) == 0) {
+      my $result = $command_table{$NAME}->Run ($OPTIONS, $args);
+      my $result_type = ref ($result);
+      my $failure = undef;
+      if ($result_type eq '') {
+        # This is the traditional command return mechanism. 0 is a fatal error
+        # and other values (usually 1) are a success.
+        $failure = 'fatal' if $result == 0;
+      }
+      elsif ($result_type eq 'HASH') {
+        # Newer command return mechanism:
+        #   {} is success
+        #   {failure => 'fatal'} is a fatal error intended for when something
+        #     is probably fundamentally wrong with autobuild xml file and/or
+        #     the command couldn't function correctly.
+        #   {failure => 'non-fatal'} is a non-fatal error intended for when the
+        #     command failed, but in a "normal" or at least possibly expected
+        #     way, like if a test failed.
+        # (and others?) are a success.
+        if (exists ($result->{failure})) {
+          $failure = $result->{failure};
+          if ($failure ne 'fatal' && $failure ne 'non-fatal') {
+            print STDERR "ERROR: $CMD $CMD2 " .
+              "set \"fail\" to unexpected value \"$failure\"\n";
+            $failure = 'fatal';
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      if (defined ($failure)) {
         print STDERR "ERROR: While $CMD $CMD2:\n" if ($verbose <= 1);
         print STDERR "  The command failed";
-        $status = 1;
-        if (!$keep_going) {
-          print STDERR ", exiting.\n";
-          chdir ($starting_dir);
-          ChangeENV (%originalENV);
-          next INPFILE;
+        if ($failure eq 'fatal') {
+          $status = 1;
+          if (!$keep_going) {
+            print STDERR ", exiting.\n";
+            chdir ($starting_dir);
+            ChangeENV (%originalENV);
+            next INPFILE;
+          }
         }
         print STDERR "!\n";
       }
diff --git a/command/cmake.pm b/command/cmake.pm
index 1423cc402..177fcee71 100644
--- a/command/cmake.pm
+++ b/command/cmake.pm
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ sub Run ($)
 
     my $command_name = $self->{simple} ? "cmake_cmd" : "cmake";
 
+    main::PrintStatus (
+      ($self->{simple} && $options !~ /\W--build\W/) ? 'Configure' : 'Compile',
+      $command_name);
+
     # Get cmake_var_* Autobuild Variables
     my @cmake_vars = ();
     my $autobuild_var_cmake_var_re = qr/^cmake_var_(\w+)$/;
@@ -93,7 +97,7 @@ sub Run ($)
         else {
             print STDERR __FILE__,
                 ": unexpected arg name \"$name\" in $command_name command\n";
-            return 0;
+            return {failure => 'fatal'};
         }
     }
 
@@ -104,14 +108,17 @@ sub Run ($)
         $config_args .= " -G \"$cmake_generator\"";
     }
 
+    my $result = {};
+
     # cmake_cmd commmand
     if ($self->{simple}) {
-        return utility::run_command ("$cmake_command $options");
+        utility::run_command ("$cmake_command $options", $result);
+        return $result;
     }
     elsif (length ($options)) {
         print STDERR __FILE__,
             ": options attribute not allowed for the cmake command\n";
-        return 0;
+        return {failure => 'fatal'};
     }
 
     # Insert cmake_var_* Autobuild Variables and var_* Arguments
@@ -124,28 +131,28 @@ sub Run ($)
 
     # Recreate Build Directory
     if (!utility::remove_tree ($build_dir)) {
-        return 0;
+        return {failure => 'fatal'};
     }
     if (!mkdir ($build_dir)) {
         print STDERR __FILE__, ": failed to make build directory \"$build_dir\": $!\n";
-        return 0;
+        return {failure => 'fatal'};
     }
 
     # Change to Build Directory
     my $build_cd = ChangeDir->new({dir => $build_dir});
-    return 0 unless ($build_cd);
+    return {failure => 'fatal'} unless ($build_cd);
 
     # Run Configure CMake Command
-    if (!utility::run_command ("$cmake_command $config_args")) {
-        return 0;
+    if (!utility::run_command ("$cmake_command $config_args", $result)) {
+        return $result;
     }
 
     # Run Build CMake Command
-    if (!utility::run_command ("$cmake_command $build_args")) {
-        return 0;
+    if (!utility::run_command ("$cmake_command $build_args", $result)) {
+        return $result;
     }
 
-    return 1;
+    return $result;
 }
 
 ##############################################################################
diff --git a/command/print_cmake_version.pm b/command/print_cmake_version.pm
index 046bd845f..b16f9941a 100644
--- a/command/print_cmake_version.pm
+++ b/command/print_cmake_version.pm
@@ -46,9 +46,7 @@ sub Run ($)
     my $cmake_command = main::GetVariable ('cmake_command');
     $cmake_command = "\"$cmake_command\" --version";
 
-    main::PrintStatus ('Config', "print CMake Version");
-
-    print "<h3>CMake version ($cmake_command)</h3>\n";
+    main::PrintStatus ('Config', "CMake Version ($cmake_command)");
 
     return utility::run_command ($cmake_command);
 }
diff --git a/common/utility.pm b/common/utility.pm
index b337ee0eb..badf484a7 100644
--- a/common/utility.pm
+++ b/common/utility.pm
@@ -6,14 +6,13 @@ package utility;
 use File::Path qw(rmtree);
 
 # Run command, returns 0 if there was an error. If the second argument is
-# passed and is true, then it always returns 1.
+# passed, it's assumed to be an autobuild command result hashref and "failure"
+# will be set to "fatal" if it is a total failure is fatal and "non-fatal" if
+# the exit status result is just non-zero.
 sub run_command ($;$)
 {
     my $command = shift;
-    my $ignore_failure = shift;
-    if (!defined $ignore_failure) {
-        $ignore_failure = 0;
-    }
+    my $ab_command_result = shift;
 
     if ($main::verbose) {
         print ("===== Running Command: $command\n");
@@ -24,16 +23,25 @@ sub run_command ($;$)
         my $error_message;
         if ($? == -1) {
             $error_message = "Failed to Run: $!";
+            if (defined ($ab_command_result)) {
+                $ab_command_result->{failure} = 'fatal';
+            }
         }
         elsif ($signal) {
             $error_message = sprintf ("Exited on Signal %d, %s coredump",
                 $signal, ($? & 128) ? 'with' : 'without');
+            if (defined ($ab_command_result)) {
+                $ab_command_result->{failure} = 'non-fatal';
+            }
         }
         else {
             $error_message = sprintf ("Returned %d", $? >> 8);
+            if (defined ($ab_command_result)) {
+                $ab_command_result->{failure} = 'non-fatal';
+            }
         }
         print STDERR "Command \"$command\" $error_message\n";
-        return $ignore_failure;
+        return 0;
     }
     return 1;
 }
diff --git a/tests/autobuild/cmake/fake_cmake.pl b/tests/autobuild/cmake/fake_cmake.pl
index d3e4fa58e..67a45af84 100755
--- a/tests/autobuild/cmake/fake_cmake.pl
+++ b/tests/autobuild/cmake/fake_cmake.pl
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@
     print ("fake_cmake.pl version 123.456.789\n");
 }
 
+if ($args =~ "<<--fail-on-purpose>>") {
+    exit (1);
+}
+
 my $file = "cmake_runs.txt";
 open (my $fd, ">>$file") or die ("Couldn't open $file: $!");
 print $fd "$args\n";
diff --git a/tests/autobuild/cmake/run_test.pl b/tests/autobuild/cmake/run_test.pl
index 9c31c55cc..ee9cb128a 100755
--- a/tests/autobuild/cmake/run_test.pl
+++ b/tests/autobuild/cmake/run_test.pl
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ sub dump_log
     "<<--build>> <<.>>\n",
     "build/cmake_runs.txt");
 
+expect_file_contents (
+    "<<..>> <<-G>> <<Fake Generator>> <<-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=fake-cc>>\n",
+    "failed_build/cmake_runs.txt");
+
 expect_file_contents (
     "<<..>> <<-G>> <<Fake Generator>> " .
       "<<-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=super-fake-cc>> " .
diff --git a/tests/autobuild/cmake/test.xml b/tests/autobuild/cmake/test.xml
index b42b339bf..284f3b38e 100644
--- a/tests/autobuild/cmake/test.xml
+++ b/tests/autobuild/cmake/test.xml
@@ -11,11 +11,16 @@
 
   <command name="log" options="on"/>
   <command name="print_cmake_version"/>
-  <command name="log" options="off"/>
 
   <!-- All Defaults -->
   <command name="cmake"/>
 
+  <!-- CMake command can fail without bringing down autobuild -->
+  <command name="cmake">
+    <arg name="build_dir">failed_build</arg>
+    <arg name="add_build_args">--fail-on-purpose</arg>
+  </command>
+
   <!-- Override a cmake_var_ -->
   <command name="cmake" dir="subdir1">
     <arg name="var_CMAKE_C_COMPILER">super-fake-cc</arg>
@@ -32,4 +37,5 @@
   </command>
 
   <command name="cmake_cmd" options="--cmake-cmd"/>
+  <command name="log" options="off"/>
 </autobuild>