diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/cli.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/cli.ex
index d74b4ff6df..5c7935ab78 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/cli.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/cli.ex
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 defmodule Mix.CLI do
   @moduledoc false
 
-  defmacrop exceptions do
-    [Mix.Error, Mix.NoTaskError, Mix.InvalidTaskError, Mix.NoProjectError, Mix.OutOfDateDepsError]
-  end
-
   @doc """
   Runs Mix according to the command line arguments.
   """
@@ -47,11 +43,13 @@ defmodule Mix.CLI do
     rescue
       # We only rescue exceptions in the mix namespace, all
       # others pass through and will explode on the users face
-      exception in exceptions ->
-        if msg = exception.message do
-          Mix.shell.error msg
+      exception ->
+        if function_exported?(exception, :mix_error, 0) do
+          if msg = exception.message, do: Mix.shell.error "** (Mix) #{msg}"
+        else
+          raise(exception)
         end
         exit(1)
     end
-  end  
+  end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/exceptions.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/exceptions.ex
index 4ac5540f5e..10921688bb 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/exceptions.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/exceptions.ex
@@ -1,22 +1,21 @@
-defexception Mix.NoTaskError, task: nil do
+defexception Mix.NoTaskError, task: nil, mix_error: true do
   def message(exception) do
     "The task #{task(exception)} could not be found"
   end
 end
 
-defexception Mix.InvalidTaskError, task: nil do
+defexception Mix.InvalidTaskError, task: nil, mix_error: true do
   def message(exception) do
     "The task #{task(exception)} does not respond to run/1"
   end
 end
 
-defexception Mix.NoProjectError,
+defexception Mix.NoProjectError, mix_error: true,
   message: "Could not find a Mix.Project"
 
-defexception Mix.Error,
-  message: nil
+defexception Mix.Error, mix_error: true, message: nil
 
-defexception Mix.OutOfDateDepsError, env: nil do
+defexception Mix.OutOfDateDepsError, mix_error: true, env: nil do
   def message(exception) do
     "Some dependencies are out of date, please run `MIX_ENV=#{exception.env} mix deps.get` to proceed"
   end
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/scm/git.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/scm/git.ex
index b57ee9cf1c..aac6c9eaf1 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/scm/git.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/scm/git.ex
@@ -38,20 +38,20 @@ defmodule Mix.SCM.Git do
   def checkout(opts) do
     path     = opts[:path]
     location = opts[:git]
-    maybe_error System.cmd(%b[git clone --quiet --no-checkout "#{location}" "#{path}"])
+    command  = %b[git clone --no-checkout "#{location}" "#{path}"]
 
-    if checked_out?(opts) do
-      File.cd! path, fn -> do_checkout(opts) end
-    end
+    run_cmd_or_raise(command)
+    File.cd! path, fn -> do_checkout(opts) end
   end
 
   def update(opts) do
     File.cd! opts[:path], fn ->
-      command = "git fetch --force --quiet"
+      command = "git fetch --force"
       if opts[:tag] do
         command = command <> " --tags"
       end
-      maybe_error System.cmd(command)
+
+      run_cmd_or_raise(command)
       do_checkout(opts)
     end
   end
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ defmodule Mix.SCM.Git do
 
   defp do_checkout(opts) do
     ref = get_lock_rev(opts[:lock]) || get_opts_rev(opts)
-    maybe_error System.cmd("git checkout --quiet #{ref}")
+    run_cmd_or_raise "git checkout --quiet #{ref}"
 
     if opts[:submodules] do
-      maybe_error System.cmd("git submodule update --init --recursive")
+      run_cmd_or_raise "git submodule update --init --recursive"
     end
 
     get_lock(opts, true)
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ defmodule Mix.SCM.Git do
     nil
   end
 
-  defp maybe_error(""),    do: :ok
-  defp maybe_error(other), do: Mix.shell.error(other)
+  defp run_cmd_or_raise(command) do
+    if Mix.shell.cmd(command) != 0 do
+      raise Mix.Error, message: "command `#{command}` failed"
+    end
+    true
+  end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell.ex
index 417526fefb..b851a00a83 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell.ex
@@ -19,4 +19,30 @@ defmodule Mix.Shell do
   Asks the user for confirmation.
   """
   defcallback yes?(message :: binary) :: any
+
+  @doc """
+  Executes the given command and returns
+  its exit status.
+  """
+  defcallback cmd(command :: binary) :: integer
+
+  @doc """
+  An implementation of the command callback that
+  is shared accross different shells.
+  """
+  def cmd(command, callback) do
+    port = Port.open({ :spawn, to_char_list(command) },
+      [:stream, :binary, :exit_status, :hide])
+    do_cmd(port, callback)
+  end
+
+  defp do_cmd(port, callback) do
+    receive do
+      { ^port, { :data, data } } ->
+        callback.(data)
+        do_cmd(port, callback)
+      { ^port, { :exit_status, status } } ->
+        status
+    end
+  end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/io.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/io.ex
index f81bad493d..3fb129dfc6 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/io.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/io.ex
@@ -4,6 +4,16 @@ defmodule Mix.Shell.IO do
   It simply prints messages to stdio and stderr.
   """
 
+  @behaviour Mix.Shell
+
+  @doc """
+  Executes the given command and prints its output
+  to stdout as it comes.
+  """
+  def cmd(command) do
+    Mix.Shell.cmd(command, IO.write(&1))
+  end
+
   @doc """
   Writes a message to the shell followed by new line.
   """
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/process.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/process.ex
index 6ee6696844..fd9a4cd904 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/process.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/shell/process.ex
@@ -36,6 +36,16 @@ defmodule Mix.Shell.Process do
     end
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Executes the given command and fowards its messages to
+  the current process.
+  """
+  def cmd(command) do
+    Mix.Shell.cmd(command, fn(data) ->
+      self <- { :mix_shell, :run, [data] }
+    end)
+  end
+
   @doc """
   Simply forwards the message to the current process.
   """
diff --git a/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/deps.compile.ex b/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/deps.compile.ex
index ab7b41c7db..d59a41aa68 100644
--- a/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/deps.compile.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/deps.compile.ex
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Deps.Compile do
 
       File.cd! deps_path, fn ->
         cond do
-          opts[:compile] -> do_compile(opts[:compile], app)
-          mix?           -> do_mix(dep, config)
+          opts[:compile] -> do_compile app, opts[:compile]
+          mix?           -> do_mix dep, config
           rebar?         -> do_command app, "rebar", "compile deps_dir=#{inspect root_path}"
           make?          -> do_command app, "make"
           true           -> shell.error "Could not compile #{app}, no mix.exs, rebar.config or Makefile " <>
@@ -109,22 +109,26 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Deps.Compile do
 
   defp do_command(app, command, extra // "") do
     if System.find_executable(command) do
-      Mix.shell.info System.cmd("#{command} #{extra}")
+      if Mix.shell.cmd("#{command} #{extra}") != 0 do
+        raise Mix.Error, message: "could not compile dependency #{app}, #{command} command failed"
+      end
     else
       raise Mix.Error, message: "could not find executable #{command} to compile " <>
         "dependency #{app}, please ensure #{command} is available"
     end
   end
 
-  defp do_compile(:noop, _) do
+  defp do_compile(_, :noop) do
     :ok
   end
 
-  defp do_compile(atom, app) when is_atom(atom) do
+  defp do_compile(app, atom) when is_atom(atom) do
     apply Mix.Project.get!, atom, [app]
   end
 
-  defp do_compile(command, _) do
-    Mix.shell.info System.cmd command
+  defp do_compile(app, command) do
+    if Mix.shell.cmd(command) != 0 do
+      raise Mix.Error, message: "could not compile dependency #{app}, custom #{command} command failed"
+    end
   end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/deps.git_test.exs b/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/deps.git_test.exs
index a39e70ee44..7b0f86c6b7 100644
--- a/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/deps.git_test.exs
+++ b/lib/mix/test/mix/tasks/deps.git_test.exs
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.DepsGitTest do
     Mix.Project.push GitErrorApp
 
     in_fixture "no_mixfile", fn ->
-      Mix.Tasks.Deps.Get.run []
-      message = "* Getting git_repo [git: #{inspect fixture_path("not_git_repo")}]"
-      assert_received { :mix_shell, :info, [^message] }
-      assert_received { :mix_shell, :error, _ }
+      exception = assert_raise Mix.Error, fn ->
+        Mix.Tasks.Deps.Get.run []
+      end
+      assert exception.message =~ %r/command `git clone/
     end
   after
     Mix.Project.pop