diff --git a/compile.c b/compile.c
index de5531c..3aeebfd 100644
--- a/compile.c
+++ b/compile.c
@@ -2817,6 +2817,16 @@ CORD compile(env_t *env, ast_t *ast)
                                               (long)(call->self->end - call->self->file->text),
                                               compile_arguments(env, ast, arg_spec, call->args)),
                                 optional_into_nonnull(self_value_t, "opt"), "; })");
+            } else if (streq(call->name, "or_exit")) {
+                CORD self = compile_to_pointer_depth(env, call->self, 0, false);
+                arg_t *arg_spec = new(arg_t, .name="message", .type=Type(OptionalType, .type=TEXT_TYPE),
+                                      .default_val=FakeAST(Null, .type=new(type_ast_t, .tag=VarTypeAST, .__data.VarTypeAST.name="Text")),
+                                      .next=new(arg_t, .name="code", .type=Type(IntType, .bits=TYPE_IBITS32),
+                                                .default_val=FakeAST(Int, .bits=IBITS32, .str="1")));
+                return CORD_all("({ ", compile_declaration(self_value_t, "opt"), " = ", self, "; ",
+                                "if (", check_null(self_value_t, "opt"), ")\n",
+                                "tomo_exit(", compile_arguments(env, ast, arg_spec, call->args), ");\n",
+                                optional_into_nonnull(self_value_t, "opt"), "; })");
             }
             code_err(ast, "There is no '%s' method for optional %T values", call->name, nonnull);
         }
diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index 642293c..13401f3 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -76,14 +76,15 @@ Exits the program with a given status and optionally prints a message.
 
 **Usage:**  
 ```markdown
-ask(message:Text = "", status:Int32 = 0[32]) -> Void
+ask(message:Text? = !Text, status:Int32 = 1[32]) -> Void
 ```
 
 **Parameters:**
 
 - `message`: If nonempty, this message will be printed (with a newline) before
   exiting.
-- `status`: The status code that the program with exit with.
+- `status`: The status code that the program with exit with (default: 1, which
+  is a failure status).
 
 **Returns:**  
 This function never returns.
diff --git a/docs/optionals.md b/docs/optionals.md
index 1414ca6..54fe5f5 100644
--- a/docs/optionals.md
+++ b/docs/optionals.md
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ having to use a more generalized form of `enum` which may have different naming
 conventions and which would generate a lot of unnecessary code. 
 
 In addition to using conditionals to check for null values, you can also use
-`:or_else(fallback)` or `:or_fail()`:
+`:or_else(fallback)` or `:or_fail()` or `:or_exit()`:
 
 ```tomo
 maybe_x := 5?
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ maybe_x := 5?
 maybe_x = !Int
 >> maybe_x:or_else(-1)
 = -1 : Int
->> maybe_x:or_fail()
+>> maybe_x:or_fail("No value!")
 # Failure!
+
+
+maybe_x = !Int
+>> maybe_x:or_exit()
+= -1 : Int
+>> maybe_x:or_exit("No value!")
+# Exit!
 ```
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index 6810f37..10aa0b5 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -42,9 +42,11 @@ env_t *new_compilation_unit(CORD *libname)
                                                                 .default_val=FakeAST(Bool, true)))),
                     .ret=TEXT_TYPE)}},
         {"exit", {.code="tomo_exit",
-                     .type=Type(FunctionType, .args=new(arg_t, .name="message", .type=Type(TextType), .default_val=FakeAST(TextLiteral),
-                     .next=new(arg_t, .name="code", .type=Type(IntType, .bits=TYPE_IBITS32),
-                               .default_val=FakeAST(Int, .bits=IBITS32, .str="0"))), .ret=Type(AbortType))}},
+                     .type=Type(FunctionType, .args=new(
+                             arg_t, .name="message", .type=Type(OptionalType, .type=Type(TextType)),
+                             .default_val=FakeAST(Null, .type=new(type_ast_t, .tag=VarTypeAST, .__data.VarTypeAST.name="Text")),
+                             .next=new(arg_t, .name="code", .type=Type(IntType, .bits=TYPE_IBITS32),
+                                       .default_val=FakeAST(Int, .bits=IBITS32, .str="1"))), .ret=Type(AbortType))}},
         {"fail", {.code="fail", .type=Type(FunctionType, .args=new(arg_t, .name="message", .type=Type(CStringType)), .ret=Type(AbortType))}},
         {"sleep", {.code="sleep_num", .type=Type(FunctionType, .args=new(arg_t, .name="seconds", .type=Type(NumType, .bits=TYPE_NBITS64)), .ret=Type(VoidType))}},
         {"USE_COLOR", {.code="USE_COLOR", .type=Type(BoolType)}},
diff --git a/examples/game/game.tm b/examples/game/game.tm
index c7020f5..8c5124d 100644
--- a/examples/game/game.tm
+++ b/examples/game/game.tm
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@ func main(map=(./map.txt)):
     extern InitWindow:func(w:Int32, h:Int32, title:CString)->Void
     InitWindow(1600, 900, "raylib [core] example - 2d camera")
 
-    map_contents := if contents := map:read():
-        contents
-    else: exit(code=1, "Could not find the game map: $map")
+    map_contents := map:read():or_exit("Could not find the game map: $map")
 
     World.CURRENT:load_map(map_contents)
 
diff --git a/examples/ini.tm b/examples/ini.tm
index 5066879..afd71a3 100644
--- a/examples/ini.tm
+++ b/examples/ini.tm
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ func parse_ini(path:Path)->{Text:{Text:Text}}:
 func main(path:Path, key:Text):
     keys := key:split($Pattern"/")
     if keys.length > 2:
-        exit(1, message="
+        exit("
             Too many arguments! 
             $_USAGE
         ")
 
     if not path:is_file() or path:is_pipe():
-        exit(code=1, "Could not read file: $(path.text_content)")
+        exit("Could not read file: $(path.text_content)")
 
     data := parse_ini(path)
     if keys.length < 1 or keys[1] == '*':
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ func main(path:Path, key:Text):
 
     section := keys[1]:lower()
     if not data:has(section):
-        exit(1, message="Invalid section name: $section; valid names: $(", ":join([k:quoted() for k in data.keys]))")
+        exit("Invalid section name: $section; valid names: $(", ":join([k:quoted() for k in data.keys]))")
 
     section_data := data:get(section)
     if keys.length < 2 or keys[2] == '*':
@@ -56,6 +56,6 @@ func main(path:Path, key:Text):
 
     section_key := keys[2]:lower()
     if not section_data:has(section_key):
-        exit(1, message="Invalid key: $section_key; valid keys: $(", ":join(section_data.keys))")
+        exit("Invalid key: $section_key; valid keys: $(", ":join(section_data.keys))")
 
     say(section_data:get(section_key))
diff --git a/examples/tomodeps.tm b/examples/tomodeps.tm
index 209f14e..a427c5f 100644
--- a/examples/tomodeps.tm
+++ b/examples/tomodeps.tm
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func draw_tree(dep:Dependency, dependencies:{Dependency:{Dependency}}):
 
 func main(files:[Text]):
     if files.length == 0:
-        exit(1, message="
+        exit("
             Please provide at least one file!
             $_USAGE
         ")
diff --git a/test/optionals.tm b/test/optionals.tm
index ced4227..05008e2 100644
--- a/test/optionals.tm
+++ b/test/optionals.tm
@@ -89,6 +89,9 @@ func main():
     >> (5?):or_fail()
     = 5 : Int
 
+    >> (5?):or_exit()
+    = 5 : Int
+
     >> (!Int):or_else(-1)
     = -1 : Int
 
diff --git a/typecheck.c b/typecheck.c
index 933f1f9..5d74a3c 100644
--- a/typecheck.c
+++ b/typecheck.c
@@ -845,6 +845,7 @@ type_t *get_type(env_t *env, ast_t *ast)
             type_t *nonnull = Match(self_value_t, OptionalType)->type;
             if (streq(call->name, "or_else")) return nonnull;
             else if (streq(call->name, "or_fail")) return nonnull;
+            else if (streq(call->name, "or_exit")) return nonnull;
             code_err(ast, "There is no '%s' method for optional %T values", call->name, nonnull);
         }
         default: {