diff --git a/man/exit-code.inc b/man/exit-code.inc
index 59bcbddb..a47186f4 100644
--- a/man/exit-code.inc
+++ b/man/exit-code.inc
@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
 * EXIT CODE
 
 This command returns 0 upon successful completion, or a non-zero exit code
-otherwise.
+otherwise. Typical values are 2 (no matches found), 11 (database schema
+mismatch) and 12 (failed to acquire database lock).
 
+** no matches found (2)
+
+Nothing matching found; try a different query
+
+** database schema mismatch (11)
+
+You need to re-initialize ~mu~, see *mu-init(1*)
+
+** failed to acquire lock (19)
+
+Some other program has exclusive access to the mu (Xapian) database
 
 # Local Variables:
 # mode: org
diff --git a/man/mu-cfind.1.org b/man/mu-cfind.1.org
index 1bbcecaa..d355d721 100644
--- a/man/mu-cfind.1.org
+++ b/man/mu-cfind.1.org
@@ -147,10 +147,7 @@ which is (by default) accessible by pressing *Q*.
 =--format=bbdb=. This is hard-coded to UTF-8, and as such specified in the
 output-file, so emacs/bbdb can handle things correctly, without guessing.
 
-* EXIT CODE
-
-This command returns 0 upon successful completion, or a non-zero exit code
-otherwise: 1 for a generals error and 2 for 'no matches'.
+#+include: "exit-code.inc" :minlevel 1
 
 #+include: "bugs.inc" :minlevel 1
 
diff --git a/man/mu-find.1.org b/man/mu-find.1.org
index 98be3575..452cdf29 100644
--- a/man/mu-find.1.org
+++ b/man/mu-find.1.org
@@ -272,11 +272,7 @@ After restarting Wanderlust, the virtual folders should appear.
 (the default), and UTF-8 for all other formats (=sexp=,
 =xml=).
 
-
-* EXIT CODE
-
-This command returns 0 upon successful completion, or a non-zero exit code
-otherwise: 1 for a generals error and 2 for 'no matches'.
+#+include: "exit-code.inc" :minlevel 1
 
 #+include: "bugs.inc" :minlevel 1
 
diff --git a/man/mu-index.1.org b/man/mu-index.1.org
index 75e9560a..e8ac248c 100644
--- a/man/mu-index.1.org
+++ b/man/mu-index.1.org
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ Things are again a little faster, even though the index does a lot more now
 (text-normalizatian, and pre-generating message-sexps). A faster machine helps,
 too!
 
+#+include: "exit-code.inc" :minlevel 1
+
 #+include: "prefooter.inc"
 
 * SEE ALSO
diff --git a/man/mu-init.1.org b/man/mu-init.1.org
index 220d3769..a69db892 100644
--- a/man/mu-init.1.org
+++ b/man/mu-init.1.org
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ reinitialize the database from an earlier version; that is, create a new
 empty database witht the existing settings. This cannot be combined
 with the other ~init~ options.
 
+#+include: "exit-code.inc" :minlevel 1
 
 #+include: "muhome.inc" :minlevel 2