diff --git a/chuchu.cabal b/chuchu.cabal
--- a/chuchu.cabal
+++ b/chuchu.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: chuchu
-version: 0.4.2
+version: 0.4.3
 cabal-version: >= 1.8
 build-type: Simple
 license: OtherLicense
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     text               >= 0.11 && < 0.12,
     transformers       >= 0.3  && < 0.4,
     parsec             >= 3.1  && < 3.2,
-    cmdargs            >= 0.9  && < 0.10,
+    cmdargs            >= 0.9  && < 0.11,
     ansi-wl-pprint     == 0.6.*,
     abacate            >= 0.0  && < 0.1,
     monad-control      >= 0.3  && < 0.4,
@@ -136,6 +136,18 @@
 Test-Suite should_fail
   type: exitcode-stdio-1.0
   main-is: should_fail.hs
+  hs-source-dirs: tests
+  build-depends:
+    base >= 4 && < 5,
+    transformers >= 0.3 && < 0.4,
+    chuchu,
+    HUnit >= 1.2 && < 1.3
+  extensions: OverloadedStrings
+  ghc-options: -Wall
+
+Test-Suite background_fail
+  type: exitcode-stdio-1.0
+  main-is: background_fail.hs
   hs-source-dirs: tests
   build-depends:
     base >= 4 && < 5,
diff --git a/src/Test/Chuchu.hs b/src/Test/Chuchu.hs
--- a/src/Test/Chuchu.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Chuchu.hs
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
   (chuchuMain, module Test.Chuchu.Types, module Test.Chuchu.Parser)
   where
 
-import Control.Applicative ((<$>), Applicative((<*>)))
+import Control.Applicative ((<$>))
 import Control.Monad (unless)
 import Control.Monad.IO.Class (MonadIO(liftIO))
 import Control.Monad.Trans.Class (lift)
@@ -190,8 +190,10 @@
                         ExecutionPlan -> Execution m Bool
 processExecutionPlan (ExecutionPlan mbackground scenario) = do
   liftIO $ putStrLn "" -- empty line (TODO: move into OutputPrinter somehow)
-  (&&) <$> maybe (return True) (processBasicScenario BackgroundKind) mbackground
-       <*> processFeatureElement scenario
+  mapShortCircuitM id
+    [ maybe (return True) (processBasicScenario BackgroundKind) mbackground
+    , processFeatureElement scenario
+    ]
 
 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/tests/background_fail.hs b/tests/background_fail.hs
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/background_fail.hs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
+
+module Main (main) where
+
+import Control.Monad.IO.Class
+import Control.Monad.Trans.State
+import Data.IORef
+import System.Environment
+import System.Exit (exitWith, ExitCode(ExitSuccess, ExitFailure))
+import Test.Chuchu
+import qualified Control.Exception as E
+
+
+data Result = NothingExecd | JustBackground | AllSteps
+
+type BackgroundFail = StateT (IORef Result) IO
+
+
+defs :: Chuchu BackgroundFail
+defs = do
+  let reached s = do
+        v <- get
+        liftIO (writeIORef v s)
+
+  Given "that this step will fail" $ \() -> do
+    reached JustBackground
+    fail "..."
+
+  Then "this step should not be executed" $ \() ->
+    reached AllSteps
+
+main :: IO ()
+main =
+  withArgs ["tests/data/background_fail.feature"] $ do
+    v <- newIORef NothingExecd
+    E.catch (chuchuMain defs (`evalStateT` v))
+            (\exitExc -> let _ = exitExc `asTypeOf` ExitSuccess
+                         in return ())
+    final <- readIORef v
+    case final of
+      NothingExecd   -> exitWith (ExitFailure 40)
+      JustBackground -> exitWith ExitSuccess
+      AllSteps       -> exitWith (ExitFailure 80)