diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
index 302a59df..2f1619f5 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
@@ -28,11 +28,15 @@
       (binding [*out* *err*]
         (println (format "[bb %s]" @task-name) (str/join " " strs))))))
 
-(defn- exit-non-zero [proc]
-  (when-let [exit-code (some-> proc deref :exit)]
-    (when (not (zero? exit-code))
-      (log-error "Terminating bb with non-zero exit code: " exit-code)
-      (System/exit exit-code))))
+(defn- handle-non-zero [proc opts]
+  (when-let [proc (when proc (deref proc))]
+    (let [exit-code (:exit proc)]
+      (if (and (not (zero? exit-code))
+               (not (:continue opts)))
+        (do (log-error "Terminating with non-zero exit code: " exit-code)
+            (System/exit exit-code))
+        (with-meta proc
+          {:babashka/no-print true})))))
 
 (def default-opts
   {:in :inherit
@@ -50,6 +54,11 @@
                  (update opts :out io/file)
                  opts)
                opts)
+        opts (if-let [o (:err opts)]
+               (if (string? o)
+                 (update opts :err io/file)
+                 opts)
+               opts)
         cmd (if (.exists (io/file cmd))
               [cmd]
               (p/tokenize cmd))
@@ -57,7 +66,7 @@
         local-log-level (:log-level opts)]
     (sci/binding [log-level (or local-log-level @log-level)]
       (apply log-info cmd)
-      (exit-non-zero (p/process cmd (merge default-opts opts))))))
+      (handle-non-zero (p/process cmd (merge default-opts opts)) opts))))
 
 (defn clojure [cmd & args]
   (let [[opts cmd args]
@@ -69,6 +78,11 @@
                  (update opts :out io/file)
                  opts)
                opts)
+        opts (if-let [o (:err opts)]
+               (if (string? o)
+                 (update opts :err io/file)
+                 opts)
+               opts)
         cmd (if (.exists (io/file cmd))
               [cmd]
               (p/tokenize cmd))
@@ -76,7 +90,7 @@
         local-log-level (:log-level opts)]
     (sci/binding [log-level (or local-log-level @log-level)]
       (apply log-info cmd)
-      (exit-non-zero (deps/clojure cmd (merge default-opts opts))))))
+      (handle-non-zero (deps/clojure cmd (merge default-opts opts)) opts))))
 
 (defn -wait [res]
   (when res
diff --git a/src/babashka/main.clj b/src/babashka/main.clj
index e5f64d74..28acd763 100644
--- a/src/babashka/main.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/main.clj
@@ -748,7 +748,9 @@ When no eval opts or subcommand is provided, the implicit subcommand is repl.")
                                                                 input-var in
                                                                 core/command-line-args command-line-args]
                                                     (sci/eval-string* sci-ctx expression))]
-                                              (when (some? res)
+                                              ;; return value printing
+                                              (when (and (some? res)
+                                                         (not (:babashka/no-print (meta res))))
                                                 (if-let [pr-f (cond shell-out println
                                                                     edn-out prn)]
                                                   (if (coll? res)
diff --git a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
index 81c8b37f..93417f10 100644
--- a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@
                                                   "echo hello")}}
         (bb "foo")
         (is (= "hello\n" (slurp out)))))
+    (testing "shell test with :continue"
+      (test-utils/with-config {:tasks {'foo (list 'shell {:out out
+                                                          :err out
+                                                          :continue true}
+                                                  "ls foobar")}}
+        (bb "foo")
+        (is (str/includes? (slurp out)
+                           "foobar"))))
     (fs/delete out)
     (testing "clojure test"
       (test-utils/with-config {:tasks {'foo (list 'clojure {:out out}