diff --git a/src/uu/mktemp/src/mktemp.rs b/src/uu/mktemp/src/mktemp.rs
index bbccf6628..8a4b472aa 100644
--- a/src/uu/mktemp/src/mktemp.rs
+++ b/src/uu/mktemp/src/mktemp.rs
@@ -12,8 +12,11 @@
 extern crate uucore;
 
 use clap::{crate_version, App, Arg};
+use uucore::error::{FromIo, UCustomError, UResult};
 
 use std::env;
+use std::error::Error;
+use std::fmt::Display;
 use std::iter;
 use std::path::{is_separator, PathBuf};
 
@@ -37,7 +40,40 @@ fn get_usage() -> String {
     format!("{0} [OPTION]... [TEMPLATE]", executable!())
 }
 
-pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> i32 {
+#[derive(Debug)]
+enum MkTempError {
+    PersistError(PathBuf),
+    MustEndInX(String),
+    TooFewXs(String),
+    ContainsDirSeparator(String),
+    InvalidTemplate(String),
+}
+
+impl UCustomError for MkTempError {}
+
+impl Error for MkTempError {}
+
+impl Display for MkTempError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        use MkTempError::*;
+        match self {
+            PersistError(p) => write!(f, "could not persist file '{}'", p.display()),
+            MustEndInX(s) => write!(f, "with --suffix, template '{}' must end in X", s),
+            TooFewXs(s) => write!(f, "too few X's in template '{}'", s),
+            ContainsDirSeparator(s) => {
+                write!(f, "invalid suffix '{}', contains directory separator", s)
+            }
+            InvalidTemplate(s) => write!(
+                f,
+                "invalid template, '{}'; with --tmpdir, it may not be absolute",
+                s
+            ),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[uucore_procs::gen_uumain]
+pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     let usage = get_usage();
 
     let matches = uu_app().usage(&usage[..]).get_matches_from(args);
@@ -73,47 +109,27 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> i32 {
     let dry_run = matches.is_present(OPT_DRY_RUN);
     let suppress_file_err = matches.is_present(OPT_QUIET);
 
-    let (prefix, rand, suffix) = match parse_template(template) {
-        Some((p, r, s)) => match matches.value_of(OPT_SUFFIX) {
-            Some(suf) => {
-                if s.is_empty() {
-                    (p, r, suf)
-                } else {
-                    crash!(
-                        1,
-                        "Template should end with 'X' when you specify suffix option."
-                    )
-                }
-            }
-            None => (p, r, s),
-        },
-        None => ("", 0, ""),
-    };
-
-    if rand < 3 {
-        crash!(1, "Too few 'X's in template")
-    }
-
-    if suffix.chars().any(is_separator) {
-        crash!(1, "suffix cannot contain any path separators");
-    }
+    let (prefix, rand, suffix) = parse_template(template, matches.value_of(OPT_SUFFIX))?;
 
     if matches.is_present(OPT_TMPDIR) && PathBuf::from(prefix).is_absolute() {
-        show_error!(
-            "invalid template, '{}'; with --tmpdir, it may not be absolute",
-            template
-        );
-        return 1;
-    };
+        return Err(MkTempError::InvalidTemplate(template.into()).into());
+    }
 
     if matches.is_present(OPT_T) {
         tmpdir = env::temp_dir()
-    };
+    }
 
-    if dry_run {
+    let res = if dry_run {
         dry_exec(tmpdir, prefix, rand, suffix)
     } else {
-        exec(tmpdir, prefix, rand, suffix, make_dir, suppress_file_err)
+        exec(tmpdir, prefix, rand, suffix, make_dir)
+    };
+
+    if suppress_file_err {
+        // Mapping all UErrors to ExitCodes prevents the errors from being printed
+        res.map_err(|e| e.code().into())
+    } else {
+        res
     }
 }
 
@@ -173,19 +189,40 @@ pub fn uu_app() -> App<'static, 'static> {
         )
 }
 
-fn parse_template(temp: &str) -> Option<(&str, usize, &str)> {
+fn parse_template<'a>(
+    temp: &'a str,
+    suffix: Option<&'a str>,
+) -> UResult<(&'a str, usize, &'a str)> {
     let right = match temp.rfind('X') {
         Some(r) => r + 1,
-        None => return None,
+        None => return Err(MkTempError::TooFewXs(temp.into()).into()),
     };
     let left = temp[..right].rfind(|c| c != 'X').map_or(0, |i| i + 1);
     let prefix = &temp[..left];
     let rand = right - left;
-    let suffix = &temp[right..];
-    Some((prefix, rand, suffix))
+
+    if rand < 3 {
+        return Err(MkTempError::TooFewXs(temp.into()).into());
+    }
+
+    let mut suf = &temp[right..];
+
+    if let Some(s) = suffix {
+        if suf.is_empty() {
+            suf = s;
+        } else {
+            return Err(MkTempError::MustEndInX(temp.into()).into());
+        }
+    };
+
+    if suf.chars().any(is_separator) {
+        return Err(MkTempError::ContainsDirSeparator(suf.into()).into());
+    }
+
+    Ok((prefix, rand, suf))
 }
 
-pub fn dry_exec(mut tmpdir: PathBuf, prefix: &str, rand: usize, suffix: &str) -> i32 {
+pub fn dry_exec(mut tmpdir: PathBuf, prefix: &str, rand: usize, suffix: &str) -> UResult<()> {
     let len = prefix.len() + suffix.len() + rand;
     let mut buf = String::with_capacity(len);
     buf.push_str(prefix);
@@ -208,51 +245,35 @@ pub fn dry_exec(mut tmpdir: PathBuf, prefix: &str, rand: usize, suffix: &str) ->
     }
     tmpdir.push(buf);
     println!("{}", tmpdir.display());
-    0
+    Ok(())
 }
 
-fn exec(dir: PathBuf, prefix: &str, rand: usize, suffix: &str, make_dir: bool, quiet: bool) -> i32 {
-    let res = if make_dir {
-        let tmpdir = Builder::new()
-            .prefix(prefix)
-            .rand_bytes(rand)
-            .suffix(suffix)
-            .tempdir_in(&dir);
-
-        // `into_path` consumes the TempDir without removing it
-        tmpdir.map(|d| d.into_path().to_string_lossy().to_string())
-    } else {
-        let tmpfile = Builder::new()
-            .prefix(prefix)
-            .rand_bytes(rand)
-            .suffix(suffix)
-            .tempfile_in(&dir);
-
-        match tmpfile {
-            Ok(f) => {
-                // `keep` ensures that the file is not deleted
-                match f.keep() {
-                    Ok((_, p)) => Ok(p.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        show_error!("'{}': {}", dir.display(), e);
-                        return 1;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-            Err(x) => Err(x),
-        }
+fn exec(dir: PathBuf, prefix: &str, rand: usize, suffix: &str, make_dir: bool) -> UResult<()> {
+    let context = || {
+        format!(
+            "failed to create file via template '{}{}{}'",
+            prefix,
+            "X".repeat(rand),
+            suffix
+        )
     };
 
-    match res {
-        Ok(ref f) => {
-            println!("{}", f);
-            0
-        }
-        Err(e) => {
-            if !quiet {
-                show_error!("{}: {}", e, dir.display());
-            }
-            1
-        }
-    }
+    let mut builder = Builder::new();
+    builder.prefix(prefix).rand_bytes(rand).suffix(suffix);
+
+    let path = if make_dir {
+        builder
+            .tempdir_in(&dir)
+            .map_err_context(context)?
+            .into_path() // `into_path` consumes the TempDir without removing it
+    } else {
+        builder
+            .tempfile_in(&dir)
+            .map_err_context(context)?
+            .keep() // `keep` ensures that the file is not deleted
+            .map_err(|e| MkTempError::PersistError(e.file.path().to_path_buf()))?
+            .1
+    };
+    println!("{}", path.display());
+    Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_mktemp.rs b/tests/by-util/test_mktemp.rs
index bcf75ee20..e824df061 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_mktemp.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_mktemp.rs
@@ -125,7 +125,8 @@ fn test_mktemp_mktemp_t() {
         .arg(TEST_TEMPLATE8)
         .fails()
         .no_stdout()
-        .stderr_contains("suffix cannot contain any path separators");
+        .stderr_contains("invalid suffix")
+        .stderr_contains("contains directory separator");
 }
 
 #[test]