diff --git a/src/search/planner.cc b/src/search/planner.cc
index e86ef8891f..a524825698 100644
--- a/src/search/planner.cc
+++ b/src/search/planner.cc
@@ -13,38 +13,44 @@ using namespace std;
 using utils::ExitCode;
 
 int main(int argc, const char **argv) {
-    utils::register_event_handlers();
-
-    if (argc < 2) {
-        utils::g_log << usage(argv[0]) << endl;
-        utils::exit_with(ExitCode::SEARCH_INPUT_ERROR);
-    }
-
-    bool unit_cost = false;
-    if (static_cast<string>(argv[1]) != "--help") {
-        utils::g_log << "reading input..." << endl;
-        tasks::read_root_task(cin);
-        utils::g_log << "done reading input!" << endl;
-        TaskProxy task_proxy(*tasks::g_root_task);
-        unit_cost = task_properties::is_unit_cost(task_proxy);
+    try {
+        utils::register_event_handlers();
+
+        if (argc < 2) {
+            utils::g_log << usage(argv[0]) << endl;
+            utils::exit_with(ExitCode::SEARCH_INPUT_ERROR);
+        }
+
+        bool unit_cost = false;
+        if (static_cast<string>(argv[1]) != "--help") {
+            utils::g_log << "reading input..." << endl;
+            tasks::read_root_task(cin);
+            utils::g_log << "done reading input!" << endl;
+            TaskProxy task_proxy(*tasks::g_root_task);
+            unit_cost = task_properties::is_unit_cost(task_proxy);
+        }
+
+        shared_ptr<SearchAlgorithm> search_algorithm =
+            parse_cmd_line(argc, argv, unit_cost);
+
+
+        utils::Timer search_timer;
+        search_algorithm->search();
+        search_timer.stop();
+        utils::g_timer.stop();
+
+        search_algorithm->save_plan_if_necessary();
+        search_algorithm->print_statistics();
+        utils::g_log << "Search time: " << search_timer << endl;
+        utils::g_log << "Total time: " << utils::g_timer << endl;
+
+        ExitCode exitcode = search_algorithm->found_solution()
+            ? ExitCode::SUCCESS
+            : ExitCode::SEARCH_UNSOLVED_INCOMPLETE;
+        exit_with(exitcode);
+    } catch (const utils::ExitException &e) {
+        /* To ensure that all destructors are called before the program exits,
+           we raise an exception in utils::exit_with() and let main() return. */
+        return static_cast<int>(e.get_exitcode());
     }
-
-    shared_ptr<SearchAlgorithm> search_algorithm =
-        parse_cmd_line(argc, argv, unit_cost);
-
-
-    utils::Timer search_timer;
-    search_algorithm->search();
-    search_timer.stop();
-    utils::g_timer.stop();
-
-    search_algorithm->save_plan_if_necessary();
-    search_algorithm->print_statistics();
-    utils::g_log << "Search time: " << search_timer << endl;
-    utils::g_log << "Total time: " << utils::g_timer << endl;
-
-    ExitCode exitcode = search_algorithm->found_solution()
-        ? ExitCode::SUCCESS
-        : ExitCode::SEARCH_UNSOLVED_INCOMPLETE;
-    exit_with(exitcode);
 }
diff --git a/src/search/utils/system.cc b/src/search/utils/system.cc
index 001f68542a..34e25b6d27 100644
--- a/src/search/utils/system.cc
+++ b/src/search/utils/system.cc
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ bool is_exit_code_error_reentrant(ExitCode exitcode) {
 
 void exit_with(ExitCode exitcode) {
     report_exit_code_reentrant(exitcode);
-    exit(static_cast<int>(exitcode));
+    throw ExitException(exitcode);
 }
 
 void exit_with_reentrant(ExitCode exitcode) {
diff --git a/src/search/utils/system.h b/src/search/utils/system.h
index 1f23ef19c7..773c19e8e0 100644
--- a/src/search/utils/system.h
+++ b/src/search/utils/system.h
@@ -53,6 +53,18 @@ enum class ExitCode {
     SEARCH_UNSUPPORTED = 34
 };
 
+class ExitException : public std::exception {
+    ExitCode exitcode;
+public:
+    explicit ExitException(ExitCode exitcode)
+        : exitcode(exitcode) {
+    }
+
+    ExitCode get_exitcode() const {
+        return exitcode;
+    }
+};
+
 NO_RETURN extern void exit_with(ExitCode returncode);
 NO_RETURN extern void exit_with_reentrant(ExitCode returncode);