diff --git a/releng.control/removeUtils.shsource b/releng.control/removeUtils.shsource
index e4b98d031a2d0149f20e0917a57ec78e3ab8b5a0..be945a16400d6a0cb3cdd753d0e1d6ac8d9adf89 100644
--- a/releng.control/removeUtils.shsource
+++ b/releng.control/removeUtils.shsource
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function removeIf ()
          echo "WARNING: rc: " $rc " could not remove " $foundDirectory;
        fi 
        
-       return rc;
+       return $rc;
 }
 
 # function that can remove a directory (e.g. via find) but checks to make sure not to remove the last one (or, last 'saveAtLeast')
@@ -90,6 +90,6 @@ function removeArtifactsDirIf ()
          echo "WARNING: rc: " $rc ". could not remove " $foundDirectory;
        fi 
        
-       return rc;
+       return $rc;
 
 }