diff --git a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
index 4e6d7900ff..a051c42cde 100644
--- a/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activerecord/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+*   Exit with non-zero status for failed database rake tasks.
+   
+    *Jay Hayes*
+
 *   Generate subquery for `Relation` if it passed as array condition for `where`
     method.
 
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake b/activerecord/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake
index ecadb95a5d..26770bd951 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake
@@ -8,31 +8,47 @@ db_namespace = namespace :db do
 
   namespace :create do
     task :all => :load_config do
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create_all
+      begin
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create_all
+      rescue
+        exit(1)
+      end
     end
   end
 
   desc 'Create the database from DATABASE_URL or config/database.yml for the current Rails.env (use db:create:all to create all databases in the config)'
   task :create => [:load_config] do
-    if ENV['DATABASE_URL']
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create_database_url
-    else
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create_current
+    begin
+      if ENV['DATABASE_URL']
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create_database_url
+      else
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create_current
+      end
+    rescue
+      exit(1)
     end
   end
 
   namespace :drop do
     task :all => :load_config do
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.drop_all
+      begin
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.drop_all
+      rescue
+        exit(1)
+      end
     end
   end
 
   desc 'Drops the database using DATABASE_URL or the current Rails.env (use db:drop:all to drop all databases)'
   task :drop => [:load_config] do
-    if ENV['DATABASE_URL']
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.drop_database_url
-    else
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.drop_current
+    begin
+      if ENV['DATABASE_URL']
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.drop_database_url
+      else
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.drop_current
+      end
+    rescue
+      exit(1)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb b/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb
index b91bbeb412..8acf0bd520 100644
--- a/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb
+++ b/activerecord/lib/active_record/tasks/database_tasks.rb
@@ -69,9 +69,11 @@ module ActiveRecord
         class_for_adapter(configuration['adapter']).new(*arguments).create
       rescue DatabaseAlreadyExists
         $stderr.puts "#{configuration['database']} already exists"
+        raise
       rescue Exception => error
         $stderr.puts error, *(error.backtrace)
         $stderr.puts "Couldn't create database for #{configuration.inspect}"
+        raise
       end
 
       def create_all
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ module ActiveRecord
       rescue Exception => error
         $stderr.puts error, *(error.backtrace)
         $stderr.puts "Couldn't drop #{configuration['database']}"
+        raise
       end
 
       def drop_all
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/mysql_rake_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/mysql_rake_test.rb
index 816bd62751..df1dad1622 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/mysql_rake_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/mysql_rake_test.rb
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
         ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid.new("Can't create database 'dev'; database exists:")
       )
 
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration
+      assert_raises(ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseAlreadyExists) do
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/postgresql_rake_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/postgresql_rake_test.rb
index f31896bc7f..3e02763ed0 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/postgresql_rake_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/postgresql_rake_test.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
       $stderr.expects(:puts).
         with("Couldn't create database for #{@configuration.inspect}")
 
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration
+      assert_raises(Exception) do
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration
+      end
     end
 
     def test_create_when_database_exists_outputs_info_to_stderr
@@ -69,7 +71,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
         ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid.new('database "my-app-db" already exists')
       )
 
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration
+      assert_raises(ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseAlreadyExists) do
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration
+      end
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/sqlite_rake_test.rb b/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/sqlite_rake_test.rb
index 7209c0f14d..e5f66c092b 100644
--- a/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/sqlite_rake_test.rb
+++ b/activerecord/test/cases/tasks/sqlite_rake_test.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
       $stderr.expects(:puts).with("#{@database} already exists")
 
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration, '/rails/root'
+      assert_raises(ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseAlreadyExists) do
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration, '/rails/root'
+      end
     end
 
     def test_db_create_with_file_does_nothing
@@ -36,7 +38,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
 
       ActiveRecord::Base.expects(:establish_connection).never
 
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration, '/rails/root'
+      assert_raises(ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseAlreadyExists) do
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration, '/rails/root'
+      end
     end
 
     def test_db_create_establishes_a_connection
@@ -52,7 +56,9 @@ module ActiveRecord
       $stderr.expects(:puts).
         with("Couldn't create database for #{@configuration.inspect}")
 
-      ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration, '/rails/root'
+      assert_raises(Exception) do
+        ActiveRecord::Tasks::DatabaseTasks.create @configuration, '/rails/root'
+      end
     end
   end