diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c5c641e5..253bc24d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## 3.3.3 Upcoming
 
+* When user callbacks such as statedata() call returns -1, clixon_backend no
+  longer silently exits. Instead a log is printed and an RPC error is returned.
 * Added Floating point support to JSON
 * Restconf: http cookie sent as attribute in rpc restconf_post operations to backend.
 * Added option CLICON_CLISPEC_FILE as complement to CLICON_CLISPEC_DIR to
diff --git a/apps/backend/backend_client.c b/apps/backend/backend_client.c
index bb52137e..0916cff4 100644
--- a/apps/backend/backend_client.c
+++ b/apps/backend/backend_client.c
@@ -988,8 +988,17 @@ from_client_msg(clicon_handle        h,
 		goto done;
 	}
 	else{
-	    if ((ret = backend_rpc_cb_call(h, xe, ce, cbret)) < 0)
-		goto done;
+	    clicon_err_reset();
+	    if ((ret = backend_rpc_cb_call(h, xe, ce, cbret)) < 0){
+		cprintf(cbret, "<rpc-reply><rpc-error>"
+			"<error-tag>operation-failed</error-tag>"
+			"<error-type>rpc</error-type>"
+			"<error-severity>error</error-severity>"
+			"<error-message>Internal error:%s</error-message>"
+			"</rpc-error></rpc-reply>", clicon_err_reason);
+		clicon_log(LOG_NOTICE, "%s Error in backend_rpc_call:%s", __FUNCTION__, xml_name(xe));
+		goto reply; /* Dont quit here on user callbacks */
+	    }
 	    if (ret == 0) /* not handled by callback */
 		cprintf(cbret, "<rpc-reply><rpc-error>"
 			"<error-tag>operation-failed</error-tag>"
@@ -1007,9 +1016,9 @@ from_client_msg(clicon_handle        h,
 		"<error-tag>operation-failed</error-tag>"
 		"<error-type>rpc</error-type>"
 		"<error-severity>error</error-severity>"
-		"<error-message>Internal error</error-message>"
-		"</rpc-error></rpc-reply>");
-    clicon_debug(1, "%s %s", __FUNCTION__, cbuf_get(cbret));
+		"<error-message>Internal error %s</error-message>"
+		"</rpc-error></rpc-reply>",clicon_err_reason);
+    clicon_debug(1, "%s cbret:%s", __FUNCTION__, cbuf_get(cbret));
     if (send_msg_reply(ce->ce_s, cbuf_get(cbret), cbuf_len(cbret)+1) < 0){
 	switch (errno){
 	case EPIPE:
@@ -1038,6 +1047,7 @@ from_client_msg(clicon_handle        h,
     if (retval < 0 && clicon_errno < 0) 
 	clicon_log(LOG_NOTICE, "%s: Internal error: No clicon_err call on error (message: %s)",
 		   __FUNCTION__, name?name:"");
+    //    clicon_debug(1, "%s retval:%d", __FUNCTION__, retval);
     return retval;// -1 here terminates backend
 }
 
@@ -1070,5 +1080,6 @@ from_client(int   s,
   done:
     if (msg)
 	free(msg);
+    clicon_debug(1, "%s retval=%d", __FUNCTION__, retval);
     return retval; /* -1 here terminates backend */
 }
diff --git a/apps/backend/clixon_backend_handle.c b/apps/backend/clixon_backend_handle.c
index aec2c292..142b63cd 100644
--- a/apps/backend/clixon_backend_handle.c
+++ b/apps/backend/clixon_backend_handle.c
@@ -505,8 +505,10 @@ backend_rpc_cb_call(clicon_handle        h,
     rc = rpc_cb_list;
     do {
 	if (strcmp(rc->rc_tag, xml_name(xe)) == 0){
-	    if ((retval = rc->rc_callback(h, xe, ce, cbret, rc->rc_arg)) < 0)
+	    if ((retval = rc->rc_callback(h, xe, ce, cbret, rc->rc_arg)) < 0){
+		clicon_debug(1, "%s Error in: %s", __FUNCTION__, rc->rc_tag);
 		goto done;
+	    }
 	    else{
 		retval = 1; /* handled */
 		goto done;
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_event.c b/lib/src/clixon_event.c
index 16adc5e3..9569d44e 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_event.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_event.c
@@ -309,7 +309,6 @@ event_loop(void)
 		clicon_debug(1, "%s select: %s", __FUNCTION__, strerror(errno));
 		clicon_err(OE_EVENTS, errno, "%s select1: %s", __FUNCTION__, strerror(errno));
 		retval = 0;
-		goto err;
 	    }
 	    else
 		clicon_err(OE_EVENTS, errno, "%s select2", __FUNCTION__);
@@ -334,8 +333,11 @@ event_loop(void)
 	    if(e->e_type == EVENT_FD && FD_ISSET(e->e_fd, &fdset)){
 		clicon_debug(2, "%s: FD_ISSET: %s[%x]", 
 			__FUNCTION__, e->e_string, e->e_arg);
-		if ((*e->e_fn)(e->e_fd, e->e_arg) < 0)
+		if ((*e->e_fn)(e->e_fd, e->e_arg) < 0){
+		    clicon_debug(1, "%s Error in: %s", __FUNCTION__, e->e_string);
 		    goto err;
+
+		}
 		if (_ee_unreg){
 		    _ee_unreg = 0;
 		    break;
@@ -346,7 +348,7 @@ event_loop(void)
       err:
 	break;
     }
-    clicon_debug(1, "%s done:", __FUNCTION__);
+    clicon_debug(1, "%s done:%d", __FUNCTION__, retval);
     return retval;
 }