diff --git a/gui/api.tcl b/gui/api.tcl
index f6f72457..cd2ed179 100644
--- a/gui/api.tcl
+++ b/gui/api.tcl
@@ -1480,8 +1480,13 @@ proc parseEventMessage { data len flags channel } {
     if { $eventtype == 4 } { ;# entered the runtime state
 	if { $g_traffic_start_opt == 1 } { startTrafficScripts }
 	if { $execMode == "batch" } {
-	    global g_current_session
-	    puts "disconnecting.  Session id is $g_current_session"
+	    global g_current_session g_abort_session
+	    if {$g_abort_session} {
+		puts "Current session ($g_current_session) aborted. Disconnecting."
+		shutdownSession
+	    } else {
+		puts "Session running. Session id is $g_current_session. Disconnecting."
+	    }
 	    exit.real
 	}
     } elseif { $eventtype == 6 } { ;# shutdown state
diff --git a/gui/core.tcl b/gui/core.tcl
index c1407d69..8ed9c90a 100644
--- a/gui/core.tcl
+++ b/gui/core.tcl
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ loadPluginsConf
 checkCommandLineAddressPort
 autoConnectPlugins
 
+set g_abort_session 0
 
 #
 # Initialization should be complete now, so let's start doing something...
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ if {$execMode == "interactive"} {
 	after 100 {
 	    loadCfg $cfg
 	    deployCfgAPI $sock
-	    puts "waiting to enter RUNTIME state..."
+	    puts "Waiting to enter RUNTIME state..."
 	}
 	global vwaitdummy
 	vwait vwaitdummy
diff --git a/gui/exceptions.tcl b/gui/exceptions.tcl
index 5b61d5a3..22f3be2f 100644
--- a/gui/exceptions.tcl
+++ b/gui/exceptions.tcl
@@ -12,11 +12,21 @@ set g_cel_blink_state "off"
 
 # receive an exception into the g_exceptions array from an Exception Message
 proc receiveException { valuelist } {
-    global g_exceptions EXCEPTION_LEVELS
+    global g_exceptions EXCEPTION_LEVELS execMode
     set idx [expr {1 + [array size g_exceptions]}]
     array set g_exceptions [list $idx $valuelist]
-    # exceptions with level ERROR or FATAL will throw the CEL
     array set vals $valuelist
+    # print exception message on stdout if in batch mode
+    if { $execMode == "batch" } { 
+	puts "\nFrom $vals(src): $vals(txt)"
+
+	# Abort the session if a fatal exception is reported
+	if { $vals(level) <= [lsearch -exact $EXCEPTION_LEVELS "FATAL" ] } {
+	    global g_current_session g_abort_session
+	    set g_abort_session 1
+	}
+    }
+    # exceptions with level ERROR or FATAL will throw the CEL
     if { $vals(level) <= [lsearch -exact $EXCEPTION_LEVELS "ERROR"] } {
 	throwCEL false
 	if { $vals(level) <= [lsearch -exact $EXCEPTION_LEVELS "FATAL" ] } {