diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 69a6be5fd6..3196238e4f 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+Wed Nov 27 06:43:26 2002  Nobuyoshi Nakada  <nobu.nokada@softhome.net>
+
+	* error.c (exit_initialize): add SystemExit#initialize to set
+	  instance variable status.  (ruby-bugs-ja:PR#362)
+
+	* eval.c (error_handle): now SystemExit have status always.
+
+	* eval.c (system_exit): just instantiate SystemExit without raise.
+
+	* eval.c (rb_thread_start_0): initialize SystemExit properly.
+
 Mon Nov 25 19:55:38 2002  WATANABE Hirofumi  <eban@ruby-lang.org>
 
 	* ext/extmk.rb (extmake): return true if not dynamic and not static.
diff --git a/error.c b/error.c
index edd86f065f..0c7d2bc69d 100644
--- a/error.c
+++ b/error.c
@@ -28,8 +28,9 @@ int ruby_nerrs;
 
 static void
 err_snprintf(buf, len, fmt, args)
-    char *buf, *fmt;
+    char *buf;
     long len;
+    const char *fmt;
     va_list args;
 {
     long n;
@@ -399,6 +400,22 @@ exc_set_backtrace(exc, bt)
     return rb_iv_set(exc, "bt", check_backtrace(bt));
 }
 
+static VALUE
+exit_initialize(argc, argv, exc)
+    int argc;
+    VALUE *argv;
+    VALUE exc;
+{
+    VALUE status = INT2NUM(0);
+    if (argc > 0 && FIXNUM_P(argv[0])) {
+	status = *argv++;
+	--argc;
+    }
+    exc_initialize(argc, argv, exc);
+    rb_iv_set(exc, "status", status);
+    return exc;
+}
+
 static VALUE
 exit_status(exc)
     VALUE exc;
@@ -530,6 +547,7 @@ Init_Exception()
     rb_define_method(rb_eException, "set_backtrace", exc_set_backtrace, 1);
 
     rb_eSystemExit  = rb_define_class("SystemExit", rb_eException);
+    rb_define_method(rb_eSystemExit, "initialize", exit_initialize, -1);
     rb_define_method(rb_eSystemExit, "status", exit_status, 0);
 
     rb_eFatal  	    = rb_define_class("fatal", rb_eException);
diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index 60e0d73a39..40470de3ff 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -1181,7 +1181,7 @@ error_handle(ex)
       case TAG_FATAL:
 	if (rb_obj_is_kind_of(ruby_errinfo, rb_eSystemExit)) {
 	    VALUE st = rb_iv_get(ruby_errinfo, "status");
-	    ex = NIL_P(st) ? 1 : NUM2INT(st);
+	    ex = NUM2INT(st);
 	}
 	else {
 	    error_print();
@@ -3562,17 +3562,19 @@ rb_mod_protected_method_defined(mod, mid)
     return Qfalse;
 }
 
-NORETURN(static void terminate_process _((int, const char*, long)));
-static void
-terminate_process(status, mesg, mlen)
+#define terminate_process(status, mesg, mlen) rb_exc_raise(system_exit(status, mesg, mlen))
+
+static VALUE
+system_exit(status, mesg, mlen)
     int status;
     const char *mesg;
     long mlen;
 {
-    VALUE exit = rb_exc_new(rb_eSystemExit, mesg, mlen);
+    VALUE args[2];
+    args[0] = INT2NUM(status);
+    args[1] = rb_str_new(mesg, mlen);
 
-    rb_iv_set(exit, "status", INT2NUM(status));
-    rb_exc_raise(exit);
+    return rb_class_new_instance(2, args, rb_eSystemExit);
 }
 
 void
@@ -8869,7 +8871,7 @@ rb_thread_start_0(fn, arg, th_arg)
 	    }
 	}
 	else if (th->safe < 4 && (thread_abort || th->abort || RTEST(ruby_debug))) {
-	    VALUE err = rb_exc_new(rb_eSystemExit, 0, 0);
+	    VALUE err = system_exit(1, 0, 0);
 	    error_print();
 	    /* exit on main_thread */
 	    rb_thread_raise(1, &err, main_thread);