diff --git a/sys-utils/mount.8 b/sys-utils/mount.8
index f1cff7476..d18881b2c 100644
--- a/sys-utils/mount.8
+++ b/sys-utils/mount.8
@@ -2759,6 +2759,10 @@ mount failure
 .TP
 .BR 64
 some mount succeeded
+.RE
+
+The command mount -a returns 0 (all success), 32 (all failed) or 64 (some
+failed, some success).
 
 .SH NOTES
 The syntax of external mount helpers is:
diff --git a/sys-utils/mount.c b/sys-utils/mount.c
index 17991b0fb..3fbac04a1 100644
--- a/sys-utils/mount.c
+++ b/sys-utils/mount.c
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ static int mount_all(struct libmnt_context *cxt)
 	struct libmnt_fs *fs;
 	int mntrc, ignored, rc = MOUNT_EX_SUCCESS;
 
+	int nsucc = 0, nerrs = 0;
+
 	itr = mnt_new_iter(MNT_ITER_FORWARD);
 	if (!itr) {
 		warn(_("failed to initialize libmount iterator"));
@@ -197,31 +199,40 @@ static int mount_all(struct libmnt_context *cxt)
 				printf(ignored == 1 ? _("%-25s: ignored\n") :
 						      _("%-25s: already mounted\n"),
 						tgt);
-
 		} else if (mnt_context_is_fork(cxt)) {
 			if (mnt_context_is_verbose(cxt))
 				printf("%-25s: mount successfully forked\n", tgt);
 		} else {
-			rc |= mk_exit_code(cxt, mntrc);
+			mk_exit_code(cxt, mntrc);	/* to print warnings */
 
 			if (mnt_context_get_status(cxt)) {
-				rc |= MOUNT_EX_SOMEOK;
+				nsucc++;
 
 				if (mnt_context_is_verbose(cxt))
 					printf("%-25s: successfully mounted\n", tgt);
-			}
+			} else
+				nerrs++;
 		}
 	}
 
 	if (mnt_context_is_parent(cxt)) {
 		/* wait for mount --fork children */
-		int nerrs = 0, nchildren = 0;
+		int nchildren = 0;
+
+		nerrs = 0, nsucc = 0;
 
 		rc = mnt_context_wait_for_children(cxt, &nchildren, &nerrs);
 		if (!rc && nchildren)
-			rc = nchildren == nerrs ? MOUNT_EX_FAIL : MOUNT_EX_SOMEOK;
+			nsucc = nchildren - nerrs;
 	}
 
+	if (nerrs == 0)
+		rc = MOUNT_EX_SUCCESS;		/* all success */
+	else if (nsucc == 0)
+		rc = MOUNT_EX_FAIL;		/* all failed */
+	else
+		rc = MOUNT_EX_SOMEOK;		/* some success, some failed */
+
 	mnt_free_iter(itr);
 	return rc;
 }