diff --git a/include/mruby/error.h b/include/mruby/error.h
index dbe4bf7584..cc84e309c0 100644
--- a/include/mruby/error.h
+++ b/include/mruby/error.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ struct RException {
 #define MRB_EXC_EXIT 65536
 #define MRB_EXC_EXIT_P(e) ((e)->flags & MRB_EXC_EXIT)
 /* retrieve status value from exc; need <mruby/variable.h> and <mruby/presym.h> */
-#define MRB_EXC_EXIT_STATUS(mrb,e) ((int)mrb_as_int((mrb),mrb_obj_iv_get((mrb),(e),MRB_SYM(status))))
+#define MRB_EXC_EXIT_STATUS(mrb,e) ((int)mrb_as_int((mrb),mrb_obj_iv_get((mrb),(e),MRB_IVSYM(status))))
 /* exit with SystemExit status */
 #define MRB_EXC_CHECK_EXIT(mrb,e) do {if (MRB_EXC_EXIT_P(e)) exit(MRB_EXC_EXIT_STATUS((mrb),(e)));} while (0)
 
diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-exit/mrblib/mruby-exit.rb b/mrbgems/mruby-exit/mrblib/mruby-exit.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..477582ba83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-exit/mrblib/mruby-exit.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class SystemExit
+  def status
+    @status
+  end
+end
diff --git a/mrbgems/mruby-exit/src/mruby_exit.c b/mrbgems/mruby-exit/src/mruby_exit.c
index 13da43201e..1ba0fea660 100644
--- a/mrbgems/mruby-exit/src/mruby_exit.c
+++ b/mrbgems/mruby-exit/src/mruby_exit.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ f_exit(mrb_state *mrb, mrb_value self)
   mrb_value exc = mrb_obj_new(mrb, mrb_exc_get_id(mrb, MRB_SYM(SystemExit)), 0, NULL);
   struct RException *e = mrb_exc_ptr(exc);
   e->flags |= MRB_EXC_EXIT;
-  mrb_iv_set(mrb, exc, MRB_SYM(status), mrb_int_value(mrb, (mrb_int)status));
+  mrb_iv_set(mrb, exc, MRB_IVSYM(status), mrb_int_value(mrb, (mrb_int)status));
   mrb_exc_raise(mrb, exc);
   /* not reached */
   return mrb_nil_value();