diff --git a/swaymsg/main.c b/swaymsg/main.c
index 518993af..7ee553e7 100644
--- a/swaymsg/main.c
+++ b/swaymsg/main.c
@@ -397,6 +397,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	if (!socket_path) {
 		socket_path = get_socketpath();
 		if (!socket_path) {
+			if (quiet) {
+				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+			}
 			sway_abort("Unable to retrieve socket path");
 		}
 	}
@@ -430,13 +433,18 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	} else if (strcasecmp(cmdtype, "subscribe") == 0) {
 		type = IPC_SUBSCRIBE;
 	} else {
+		if (quiet) {
+			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		}
 		sway_abort("Unknown message type %s", cmdtype);
 	}
 
 	free(cmdtype);
 
 	if (monitor && type != IPC_SUBSCRIBE) {
-		sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Monitor can only be used with -t SUBSCRIBE");
+		if (!quiet) {
+			sway_log(SWAY_ERROR, "Monitor can only be used with -t SUBSCRIBE");
+		}
 		free(socket_path);
 		return 1;
 	}
@@ -454,29 +462,29 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	ipc_set_recv_timeout(socketfd, timeout);
 	uint32_t len = strlen(command);
 	char *resp = ipc_single_command(socketfd, type, command, &len);
-	if (!quiet) {
-		// pretty print the json
-		json_object *obj = json_tokener_parse(resp);
 
-		if (obj == NULL) {
+	// pretty print the json
+	json_object *obj = json_tokener_parse(resp);
+	if (obj == NULL) {
+		if (!quiet) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Could not parse json response from ipc. "
 					"This is a bug in sway.");
 			printf("%s\n", resp);
+		}
+		ret = 1;
+	} else {
+		if (!success(obj, true)) {
 			ret = 1;
-		} else {
-			if (!success(obj, true)) {
-				ret = 1;
-			}
-			if (type != IPC_SUBSCRIBE  || ret != 0) {
-				if (raw) {
-					printf("%s\n", json_object_to_json_string_ext(obj,
-						JSON_C_TO_STRING_PRETTY | JSON_C_TO_STRING_SPACED));
-				} else {
-					pretty_print(type, obj);
-				}
+		}
+		if (!quiet && (type != IPC_SUBSCRIBE  || ret != 0)) {
+			if (raw) {
+				printf("%s\n", json_object_to_json_string_ext(obj,
+					JSON_C_TO_STRING_PRETTY | JSON_C_TO_STRING_SPACED));
+			} else {
+				pretty_print(type, obj);
 			}
-			json_object_put(obj);
 		}
+		json_object_put(obj);
 	}
 	free(command);
 	free(resp);
@@ -495,10 +503,14 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 			json_object *obj = json_tokener_parse(reply->payload);
 			if (obj == NULL) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Could not parse json response from ipc"
-						". This is a bug in sway.");
-				ret = 1;
+				if (!quiet) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Could not parse json response from"
+							" ipc. This is a bug in sway.");
+					ret = 1;
+				}
 				break;
+			} else if (quiet) {
+				json_object_put(obj);
 			} else {
 				if (raw) {
 					printf("%s\n", json_object_to_json_string(obj));