diff --git a/src/nft-helper/main.c b/src/nft-helper/main.c
index 078ad73..6e7ae6c 100644
--- a/src/nft-helper/main.c
+++ b/src/nft-helper/main.c
@@ -21,21 +21,22 @@ int run(char *cmd[])
 		_exit(execvp(cmd[0], cmd));
 	}
 
-	if (waitpid(pid, &rc, 0))
+	if (waitpid(pid, &rc, 0) != pid)
 		return -1;
 
-	return WEXITSTATUS(rc);
+	return rc;
 }
 
 void cb(int signo)
 {
-	warnx("got signal %d, calling nft flush ruleset and exit.", signo);
+	warnx("got signal %d, calling nft flush ruleset and exit", signo);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char *load[]  = { "nft", "-f", NULL, NULL };
 	char *flush[] = { "nft", "flush", "ruleset", NULL };
+	int rc;
 
 	if (argc < 2 || access(argv[1], F_OK))
 		errx(1, "Missing nft.conf argument.\nUsage:\n\t%s /path/to/nftables.conf", argv[0]);
@@ -46,7 +47,18 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	signal(SIGHUP, cb);
 
 	load[2] = argv[1];
-	run(load);
+	rc = run(load);
+	if (rc == -1) {
+		err(1, "Internal error while waiting for ruleset to load");
+	} else if (WIFEXITED(rc)) {
+		rc = WEXITSTATUS(rc);
+		if (rc)
+			errx(rc, "Failed to load ruleset, exited with status %d", rc);
+	} else if (WIFSIGNALED(rc)) {
+		errx(rc, "Failed to load ruleset, terminated on signal %d", WTERMSIG(rc));
+	}
+
+	warnx("Ruleset active");
 	pause();
 	run(flush);