diff --git a/tests/functional/test_rose_stem.py b/tests/functional/test_rose_stem.py
index 453554db..7be8ae13 100644
--- a/tests/functional/test_rose_stem.py
+++ b/tests/functional/test_rose_stem.py
@@ -216,11 +216,11 @@ def rose_stem_run_template(setup_stem_repo, pytestconfig, monkeymodule):
     """
     verbosity = pytestconfig.getoption('verbose')
 
-    def _inner_fn(rose_stem_cmd, verbosity=verbosity):
+    def _inner_fn(rose_stem_opts, verbosity=verbosity):
         monkeymodule.setattr('sys.argv', ['stem'])
         monkeymodule.chdir(setup_stem_repo['workingcopy'])
         parser, opts = _get_rose_stem_opts()
-        [setattr(opts, key, val) for key, val in rose_stem_cmd.items()]
+        [setattr(opts, key, val) for key, val in rose_stem_opts.items()]
 
         run_stem = SimpleNamespace()
         run_stem.stdout = ''
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ def _inner_fn(rose_stem_cmd, verbosity=verbosity):
             run_stem.returncode = 0
             run_stem.stderr = ''
         except Exception as exc:
-            run_stem.returncode = 0
+            run_stem.returncode = 1
             run_stem.stderr = exc
 
         return {
@@ -246,14 +246,14 @@ def _inner_fn(rose_stem_cmd, verbosity=verbosity):
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='class')
 def rose_stem_run_basic(rose_stem_run_template, setup_stem_repo):
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'stem_groups': ['earl_grey', 'milk,sugar', 'spoon,cup,milk'],
         'stem_sources': [
             str(setup_stem_repo['workingcopy']), "fcm:foo.x_tr@head"
         ],
         'workflow_name': setup_stem_repo['suitename']
     }
-    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_cmd)
+    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_opts)
 
 
 class TestBasic():
@@ -287,14 +287,14 @@ def test_basic(self, rose_stem_run_basic, expected):
 def project_override(
     rose_stem_run_template, setup_stem_repo
 ):
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'stem_groups': ['earl_grey', 'milk,sugar', 'spoon,cup,milk'],
         'stem_sources': [
             f'bar={str(setup_stem_repo["workingcopy"])}', "fcm:foo.x_tr@head"
         ],
         'workflow_name': setup_stem_repo['suitename']
     }
-    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_cmd)
+    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_opts)
 
 
 class TestProjectOverride():
@@ -336,13 +336,13 @@ def test_project_override(self, project_override, expected):
 def suite_redirection(
     rose_stem_run_template, setup_stem_repo
 ):
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'source': f'{setup_stem_repo["workingcopy"]}/rose-stem',
         'stem_groups': ['lapsang'],
         'stem_sources': ["fcm:foo.x_tr@head"],
         'workflow_name': setup_stem_repo['suitename']
     }
-    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_cmd)
+    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_opts)
 
 
 class TestSuiteRedirection:
@@ -373,12 +373,12 @@ def test_suite_redirection(self, suite_redirection, expected):
 def subdirectory(
     rose_stem_run_template, setup_stem_repo
 ):
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'stem_groups': ['assam'],
         'stem_sources': [f'{setup_stem_repo["workingcopy"]}/rose-stem'],
         'workflow_name': setup_stem_repo['suitename']
     }
-    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_cmd)
+    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_opts)
 
 
 class TestSubdirectory:
@@ -412,12 +412,12 @@ def test_subdirectory(self, subdirectory, expected):
 def relative_path(
     rose_stem_run_template, setup_stem_repo
 ):
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'source': './rose-stem',
         'stem_groups': ['ceylon'],
         'workflow_name': setup_stem_repo['suitename']
     }
-    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_cmd)
+    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_opts)
 
 
 class TestRelativePath:
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ def with_config(
 ):
     """test for successful execution with site/user configuration
     """
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'stem_groups': ['earl_grey', 'milk,sugar', 'spoon,cup,milk'],
         'stem_sources': [
             f'{setup_stem_repo["workingcopy"]}', 'fcm:foo.x_tr@head'],
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ def with_config(
     monkeymodule.setenv(
         'ROSE_CONF_PATH', str(setup_stem_repo['basetemp'])
     )
-    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_cmd)
+    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_opts)
     monkeymodule.delenv('ROSE_CONF_PATH')
 
 
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ def with_config2(
 ):
     """test for successful execution with site/user configuration
     """
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'stem_groups': ['assam'],
         'stem_sources': [
             f'{setup_stem_repo["workingcopy"]}'],
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ def with_config2(
     monkeymodule.setenv(
         'ROSE_CONF_PATH', str(setup_stem_repo['basetemp'])
     )
-    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_cmd)
+    yield rose_stem_run_template(rose_stem_opts)
     monkeymodule.delenv('ROSE_CONF_PATH')
 
 
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ def test_incompatible_versions(setup_stem_repo, monkeymodule):
     )
     shutil.copy2(src, dest)
 
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'stem_groups': ['earl_grey', 'milk,sugar', 'spoon,cup,milk'],
         'stem_sources': [
             str(setup_stem_repo['workingcopy']),
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ def test_incompatible_versions(setup_stem_repo, monkeymodule):
     monkeymodule.setattr('sys.argv', ['stem'])
     monkeymodule.chdir(setup_stem_repo['workingcopy'])
     parser, opts = _get_rose_stem_opts()
-    [setattr(opts, key, val) for key, val in rose_stem_cmd.items()]
+    [setattr(opts, key, val) for key, val in rose_stem_opts.items()]
 
     with pytest.raises(
         RoseStemVersionException, match='1 but suite is at version 0'
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ def test_project_not_in_keywords(setup_stem_repo, monkeymodule, capsys):
     """
     # Copy suite into working copy.
     monkeymodule.delenv('FCM_CONF_PATH')
-    rose_stem_cmd = {
+    rose_stem_opts = {
         'stem_groups': ['earl_grey', 'milk,sugar', 'spoon,cup,milk'],
         'stem_sources': [
             str(setup_stem_repo['workingcopy']),
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ def test_project_not_in_keywords(setup_stem_repo, monkeymodule, capsys):
     monkeymodule.setattr('sys.argv', ['stem'])
     monkeymodule.chdir(setup_stem_repo['workingcopy'])
     parser, opts = _get_rose_stem_opts()
-    [setattr(opts, key, val) for key, val in rose_stem_cmd.items()]
+    [setattr(opts, key, val) for key, val in rose_stem_opts.items()]
 
     rose_stem(parser, opts)