diff --git a/internal/lsp/cmd/check_test.go b/internal/lsp/cmd/check_test.go
index d918f0da35..5752b873d8 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cmd/check_test.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cmd/check_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ func (r *runner) Diagnostics(t *testing.T, data tests.Diagnostics) {
 		args := []string{"-remote=internal", "check", fname}
 		app := cmd.New("gopls-test", r.data.Config.Dir, r.data.Exported.Config.Env)
 		out := captureStdOut(t, func() {
-			tool.Main(r.ctx, app, args)
+			_ = tool.Run(r.ctx, app, args)
 		})
 		// parse got into a collection of reports
 		got := map[string]struct{}{}
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cmd/cmd.go b/internal/lsp/cmd/cmd.go
index a2e2af8c70..3f95add2d2 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -119,14 +119,12 @@ func (app *Application) Run(ctx context.Context, args ...string) error {
 	export.AddExporters(ocagent.Connect(ocConfig))
 	app.Serve.app = app
 	if len(args) == 0 {
-		tool.Main(ctx, &app.Serve, args)
-		return nil
+		return tool.Run(ctx, &app.Serve, args)
 	}
 	command, args := args[0], args[1:]
 	for _, c := range app.commands() {
 		if c.Name() == command {
-			tool.Main(ctx, c, args)
-			return nil
+			return tool.Run(ctx, c, args)
 		}
 	}
 	return tool.CommandLineErrorf("Unknown command %v", command)
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cmd/definition_test.go b/internal/lsp/cmd/definition_test.go
index 480a8cc110..5737fc0776 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cmd/definition_test.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cmd/definition_test.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func TestDefinitionHelpExample(t *testing.T) {
 		fmt.Sprintf("%v:#%v", thisFile, cmd.ExampleOffset)} {
 		args := append(baseArgs, query)
 		got := captureStdOut(t, func() {
-			tool.Main(tests.Context(t), cmd.New("gopls-test", "", nil), args)
+			_ = tool.Run(tests.Context(t), cmd.New("gopls-test", "", nil), args)
 		})
 		if !expect.MatchString(got) {
 			t.Errorf("test with %v\nexpected:\n%s\ngot:\n%s", args, expect, got)
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func (r *runner) Definition(t *testing.T, data tests.Definitions) {
 			args = append(args, fmt.Sprint(d.Src))
 			got := captureStdOut(t, func() {
 				app := cmd.New("gopls-test", r.data.Config.Dir, r.data.Exported.Config.Env)
-				tool.Main(r.ctx, app, args)
+				_ = tool.Run(r.ctx, app, args)
 			})
 			got = normalizePaths(r.data, got)
 			if mode&jsonGoDef != 0 && runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cmd/format_test.go b/internal/lsp/cmd/format_test.go
index b7cdabdcfe..878246189d 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cmd/format_test.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cmd/format_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (r *runner) Format(t *testing.T, data tests.Formats) {
 			}
 			app := cmd.New("gopls-test", r.data.Config.Dir, r.data.Config.Env)
 			got := captureStdOut(t, func() {
-				tool.Main(r.ctx, app, append([]string{"-remote=internal", "format"}, args...))
+				_ = tool.Run(r.ctx, app, append([]string{"-remote=internal", "format"}, args...))
 			})
 			got = normalizePaths(r.data, got)
 			// check the first two lines are the expected file header
diff --git a/internal/lsp/cmd/query.go b/internal/lsp/cmd/query.go
index 4fb42266b6..037b4d0076 100644
--- a/internal/lsp/cmd/query.go
+++ b/internal/lsp/cmd/query.go
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ func (q *query) Run(ctx context.Context, args ...string) error {
 	mode, args := args[0], args[1:]
 	for _, m := range q.modes() {
 		if m.Name() == mode {
-			tool.Main(ctx, m, args)
-			return nil
+			return tool.Run(ctx, m, args) // pass errors up the chain
 		}
 	}
 	return tool.CommandLineErrorf("unknown command %v", mode)
diff --git a/internal/tool/tool.go b/internal/tool/tool.go
index d21a099803..b50569aced 100644
--- a/internal/tool/tool.go
+++ b/internal/tool/tool.go
@@ -78,7 +78,9 @@ func CommandLineErrorf(message string, args ...interface{}) error {
 }
 
 // Main should be invoked directly by main function.
-// It will only return if there was no error.
+// It will only return if there was no error.  If an error
+// was encountered it is printed to standard error and the
+// application exits with an exit code of 2.
 func Main(ctx context.Context, app Application, args []string) {
 	s := flag.NewFlagSet(app.Name(), flag.ExitOnError)
 	s.Usage = func() {
@@ -86,50 +88,7 @@ func Main(ctx context.Context, app Application, args []string) {
 		fmt.Fprintf(s.Output(), "\n\nUsage: %v [flags] %v\n", app.Name(), app.Usage())
 		app.DetailedHelp(s)
 	}
-	p := addFlags(s, reflect.StructField{}, reflect.ValueOf(app))
-	s.Parse(args)
-	err := func() error {
-		if p != nil && p.CPU != "" {
-			f, err := os.Create(p.CPU)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			if err := pprof.StartCPUProfile(f); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			defer pprof.StopCPUProfile()
-		}
-
-		if p != nil && p.Trace != "" {
-			f, err := os.Create(p.Trace)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			if err := trace.Start(f); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			defer func() {
-				trace.Stop()
-				log.Printf("To view the trace, run:\n$ go tool trace view %s", p.Trace)
-			}()
-		}
-
-		if p != nil && p.Memory != "" {
-			f, err := os.Create(p.Memory)
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			defer func() {
-				runtime.GC() // get up-to-date statistics
-				if err := pprof.WriteHeapProfile(f); err != nil {
-					log.Printf("Writing memory profile: %v", err)
-				}
-				f.Close()
-			}()
-		}
-		return app.Run(ctx, s.Args()...)
-	}()
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := Run(ctx, app, args); err != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(s.Output(), "%s: %v\n", app.Name(), err)
 		if _, printHelp := err.(commandLineError); printHelp {
 			s.Usage()
@@ -138,6 +97,56 @@ func Main(ctx context.Context, app Application, args []string) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Run is the inner loop for Main; invoked by Main, recursively by
+// Run, and by various tests.  It runs the application and returns an
+// error.
+func Run(ctx context.Context, app Application, args []string) error {
+	s := flag.NewFlagSet(app.Name(), flag.ExitOnError)
+	p := addFlags(s, reflect.StructField{}, reflect.ValueOf(app))
+	s.Parse(args)
+
+	if p != nil && p.CPU != "" {
+		f, err := os.Create(p.CPU)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := pprof.StartCPUProfile(f); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer pprof.StopCPUProfile()
+	}
+
+	if p != nil && p.Trace != "" {
+		f, err := os.Create(p.Trace)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if err := trace.Start(f); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer func() {
+			trace.Stop()
+			log.Printf("To view the trace, run:\n$ go tool trace view %s", p.Trace)
+		}()
+	}
+
+	if p != nil && p.Memory != "" {
+		f, err := os.Create(p.Memory)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		defer func() {
+			runtime.GC() // get up-to-date statistics
+			if err := pprof.WriteHeapProfile(f); err != nil {
+				log.Printf("Writing memory profile: %v", err)
+			}
+			f.Close()
+		}()
+	}
+
+	return app.Run(ctx, s.Args()...)
+}
+
 // addFlags scans fields of structs recursively to find things with flag tags
 // and add them to the flag set.
 func addFlags(f *flag.FlagSet, field reflect.StructField, value reflect.Value) *Profile {