diff --git a/libpod/define/exec_codes.go b/libpod/define/exec_codes.go
index a84730e722..46a8e9d86a 100644
--- a/libpod/define/exec_codes.go
+++ b/libpod/define/exec_codes.go
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ func TranslateExecErrorToExitCode(originalEC int, err error) int {
 	if errors.Is(err, ErrOCIRuntimeNotFound) {
 		return ExecErrorCodeNotFound
 	}
+	if errors.Is(err, ErrInvalidArg) {
+		return ExecErrorCodeGeneric
+	}
+
 	return originalEC
 }
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/exec_test.go b/test/e2e/exec_test.go
index efb9e13acc..c290fa3981 100644
--- a/test/e2e/exec_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/exec_test.go
@@ -32,11 +32,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Podman exec", func() {
 		// With no command
 		session = podmanTest.Podman([]string{"exec", "test1"})
 		session.WaitWithDefaultTimeout()
-		expectedStatus := 255
-		if IsRemote() {
-			expectedStatus = 125
-		}
-		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(expectedStatus, "must provide a non-empty command to start an exec session: invalid argument"))
+		Expect(session).Should(ExitWithError(125, "must provide a non-empty command to start an exec session: invalid argument"))
 	})
 
 	It("podman container exec simple command", func() {
diff --git a/test/system/075-exec.bats b/test/system/075-exec.bats
index f24d34d534..53f0c20b55 100644
--- a/test/system/075-exec.bats
+++ b/test/system/075-exec.bats
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ load helpers
     run_podman 127 exec $cid /no/such/command
     is "$output" ".*such file or dir"   "podman exec /no/such/command"
 
+    run_podman 125 exec $cid
+    is "$output" ".*must provide a non-empty command to start an exec session"   "podman exec must include a command"
+
     # Done. Tell the container to stop.
     # The '-d' is because container exit is racy: the exec process itself
     # could get caught and killed by cleanup, causing this step to exit 137