diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.cpp b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
index a723ad715..297c3f3f5 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.cpp
@@ -873,14 +873,15 @@ namespace BlackCore
         // help/version
         if (this->m_parser.isSet(this->m_cmdHelp))
         {
-            // Important parser help will already stop application
+            // Important: parser help will already stop application
             this->cmdLineHelpMessage();
-            return true;
+            return false;
         }
         if (this->m_parser.isSet(this->m_cmdVersion))
         {
+            // Important: version will already stop application
             this->cmdLineVersionMessage();
-            return true;
+            return false;
         }
 
         // dev.
diff --git a/src/blackcore/application.h b/src/blackcore/application.h
index e9419645b..a46f0f9e6 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/application.h
+++ b/src/blackcore/application.h
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ namespace BlackCore
         //! Parses and handles the standard options such as help, version, parse error
         //! \note in some cases (error, version, help) application is terminated during this step
         //! \sa parsingHookIn
+        //! \return true means to continue, false to stop
         bool parse();
         //! @}
 
diff --git a/src/swiftcore/main.cpp b/src/swiftcore/main.cpp
index ba999b771..58259c6eb 100644
--- a/src/swiftcore/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftcore/main.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (!QSystemTrayIcon::isSystemTrayAvailable())
     {
         a.cmdLineErrorMessage("I could not detect any system tray on this system.");
+        a.gracefulShutdown();
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/swiftdata/main.cpp b/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
index cf45b6b8a..09cece84c 100644
--- a/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftdata/main.cpp
@@ -29,9 +29,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     CGuiApplication a("swift mapping tool", CApplicationInfo::MappingTool, CIcons::swiftDatabase48());
     a.setSignalStartupAutomatically(false); // application will signal startup on its own
     a.splashScreen(CIcons::swiftDatabase256());
-    a.parse();
+    if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
     a.useWebDataServices(BlackCore::CWebReaderFlags::AllSwiftDbReaders, CDatabaseReaderConfigList::forMappingTool());
-    if (!a.start()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
+    if (!a.start())
+    {
+        a.gracefulShutdown();
+        return EXIT_FAILURE;
+    }
     CSwiftData w;
     w.show();
     int r = a.exec();
diff --git a/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp b/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp
index 660a1ff1e..5edf40219 100644
--- a/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftguistandard/main.cpp
@@ -24,9 +24,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     //! [SwiftApplicationDemo]
     CGuiApplication::highDpiScreenSupport();
     QApplication qa(argc, argv);
+    Q_UNUSED(qa); // application init needed
     CSwiftGuiStdApplication a;
     a.setSignalStartupAutomatically(false); // application will signal startup on its own
     a.splashScreen(CIcons::swift256());
+    if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
     if (!a.start())
     {
         a.gracefulShutdown();
diff --git a/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp b/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
index 21e1dc7fb..af860110e 100644
--- a/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
+++ b/src/swiftlauncher/main.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     CGuiApplication a("swift launcher", CApplicationInfo::Laucher, CIcons::swiftLauncher1024());
     a.useWebDataServices(BlackCore::CWebReaderFlags::AllSwiftDbReaders, CDatabaseReaderConfigList::forLauncher());
     a.addParserOption({{"i", "installer"}, QCoreApplication::translate("main", "Installer setup."), "installer"});
-    a.parse();
+    if (!a.parse()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
     if (!a.start()) { return EXIT_FAILURE; }
     //! [SwiftApplicationDemo]