diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 488054e..40a4806 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -33,12 +33,20 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[arg(short = 'v', long)]
     pub verbose: bool,
 
-    /// Boot with QEMU system emulation (optionally specify kernel path, or omit to download default)
+    /// Boot with QEMU system emulation (optionally specify kernel path with =PATH, or omit to download default)
     ///
     /// Examples:
-    ///   --kernel           Download and use the default Alpine linux-virt kernel
-    ///   --kernel ./vmlinuz Use a specific kernel file
-    #[arg(long, value_name = "KERNEL_PATH", num_args = 0..=1)]
+    ///   --kernel             Download and use the default Alpine linux-virt kernel
+    ///   --kernel=./vmlinuz   Use a specific kernel file
+    ///
+    /// The kernel path must use `=` syntax: with `--kernel ./vmlinuz` the
+    /// path would be parsed as the DISTRO argument.
+    #[arg(
+        long,
+        value_name = "KERNEL_PATH",
+        num_args = 0..=1,
+        require_equals = true
+    )]
     pub kernel: Option<Option<PathBuf>>,
 
     /// Memory size for QEMU VM (only used with --kernel, e.g., 512M, 2G)
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 60283b2..7968c62 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -130,11 +130,20 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     extract_tarball(&cache_path, &rootfs)?;
 
     // Branch based on --kernel flag
-    // Option<Option<PathBuf>>:
+    // Option<Option<PathBuf>> (require_equals: the value must use =PATH syntax
+    // so it can never swallow the DISTRO positional):
     //   None              -> --kernel not specified, use namespace mode
     //   Some(None)        -> --kernel without path, download default kernel
-    //   Some(Some(path))  -> --kernel /path/to/vmlinuz, use provided kernel
+    //   Some(Some(path))  -> --kernel=/path/to/vmlinuz, use provided kernel
     if let Some(kernel_opt) = &args.kernel {
+        // VM mode boots an initramfs: host bind mounts are never applied
+        if !args.bind.is_empty() || !args.bind_rw.is_empty() {
+            eprintln!(
+                "Warning: --bind/--bind-rw are ignored with --kernel \
+                 (the VM boots from an initramfs, no host directories are mounted)"
+            );
+        }
+
         // QEMU system mode
         let kernel_path = match kernel_opt {
             Some(path) => {
@@ -169,12 +178,19 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         result
     } else {
         // Namespace/chroot mode
-        namespace_mode(args, rootfs, config)
+        let exit_code = namespace_mode(args, rootfs, config)?;
+        // Propagate the command's exit code, cleaning up the extracted rootfs
+        // first: process::exit does not run destructors.
+        drop(temp_dir);
+        if exit_code != 0 {
+            std::process::exit(exit_code);
+        }
+        Ok(())
     }
 }
 
-/// Run in namespace/chroot mode
-fn namespace_mode(args: Args, rootfs: std::path::PathBuf, config: Config) -> Result<()> {
+/// Run in namespace/chroot mode, returning the command's exit code
+fn namespace_mode(args: Args, rootfs: std::path::PathBuf, config: Config) -> Result<i32> {
     // Check user namespace availability
     namespace::check_user_namespace()?;
 
diff --git a/src/namespace.rs b/src/namespace.rs
index 9a6d618..5c20665 100644
--- a/src/namespace.rs
+++ b/src/namespace.rs
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@ pub fn check_user_namespace() -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
-/// Setup namespaces and run the provided function inside them
-pub fn setup_namespaces<F>(f: F) -> Result<()>
+/// Setup namespaces and run the provided function inside them.
+/// Returns the child's exit code (0 on success, 128+signal when killed by a
+/// signal). Setup failures are returned as Err.
+pub fn setup_namespaces<F>(f: F) -> Result<i32>
 where
     F: FnOnce() -> Result<()> + Send + 'static,
 {
@@ -222,20 +224,18 @@ where
     let status = nix::sys::wait::waitpid(pid, None)?;
 
     match status {
-        nix::sys::wait::WaitStatus::Exited(_, 0) => Ok(()),
+        nix::sys::wait::WaitStatus::Exited(_, 0) => Ok(0),
         nix::sys::wait::WaitStatus::Exited(_, code) => {
             // If the child reported an error (e.g., setup failure), return it.
             // Otherwise, just forward the exit code without an error message.
             if let Some(msg) = child_error {
                 Err(anyhow!("{}", msg))
             } else {
-                std::process::exit(code);
+                Ok(code)
             }
         }
-        nix::sys::wait::WaitStatus::Signaled(_, sig, _) => {
-            Err(anyhow!("Child process killed by signal {:?}", sig))
-        }
-        _ => Ok(()),
+        nix::sys::wait::WaitStatus::Signaled(_, sig, _) => Ok(128 + sig as i32),
+        _ => Ok(0),
     }
 }