diff --git a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.cmd.template b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.cmd.template
index 6b594d4f357..389280ef7c8 100644
--- a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.cmd.template
+++ b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.cmd.template
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
   exit /b 0
 )
 
+if "%ACTIONS_RUNNER_RETURN_VERSION_DEPRECATED_EXIT_CODE%"=="1" (
+  if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 7 (
+    echo "Runner listener exit with deprecated version error code: %ERRORLEVEL%."
+    exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
+  )
+)
+
 if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 (
   echo "Runner listener exit with terminated error, stop the service, no retry needed."
   exit /b 0
diff --git a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.sh.template b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.sh.template
index 9f2b3cc4457..813c747355a 100755
--- a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.sh.template
+++ b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run-helper.sh.template
@@ -34,11 +34,13 @@ fi
 
 updateFile="update.finished"
 "$DIR"/bin/Runner.Listener run $*
-
 returnCode=$?
 if [[ $returnCode == 0 ]]; then
     echo "Runner listener exit with 0 return code, stop the service, no retry needed."
     exit 0
+elif [[ "$ACTIONS_RUNNER_RETURN_VERSION_DEPRECATED_EXIT_CODE" == "1" && $returnCode -eq 7 ]]; then
+    echo "Runner listener exit with deprecated version exit code: ${returnCode}."
+    exit "$returnCode"
 elif [[ $returnCode == 1 ]]; then
     echo "Runner listener exit with terminated error, stop the service, no retry needed."
     exit 0
diff --git a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.cmd b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.cmd
index 692b38f9b9f..d0a4052c9bc 100644
--- a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.cmd
+++ b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.cmd
@@ -25,7 +25,14 @@ call "%~dp0run-helper.cmd" %*
 if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 (
   echo "Restarting runner..."
   goto :launch_helper
-) else (  
-  echo "Exiting runner..."
-  exit /b 0
 )
+
+if "%ACTIONS_RUNNER_RETURN_VERSION_DEPRECATED_EXIT_CODE%"=="1" (
+  if %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 7 (
+    echo "Exiting runner with deprecated version error code: %ERRORLEVEL%"
+    exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%
+  )
+)
+
+echo "Exiting runner..."
+exit /b 0
diff --git a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.sh b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.sh
index 57f18ee00e1..27b3cb404b2 100755
--- a/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.sh
+++ b/src/Misc/layoutroot/run.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ run() {
         returnCode=$?
         if [[ $returnCode -eq 2 ]]; then
             echo "Restarting runner..."
+        elif [[ "$ACTIONS_RUNNER_RETURN_VERSION_DEPRECATED_EXIT_CODE" == "1" && $returnCode -eq 7 ]]; then
+            echo "Exiting runner..."
+            exit "$returnCode"
         else
             echo "Exiting runner..."
             exit 0
@@ -42,6 +45,9 @@ runWithManualTrap() {
         returnCode=$?
         if [[ $returnCode -eq 2 ]]; then
             echo "Restarting runner..."
+        elif [[ "$ACTIONS_RUNNER_RETURN_VERSION_DEPRECATED_EXIT_CODE" == "1" && $returnCode -eq 7 ]]; then
+            echo "Exiting runner..."
+            exit "$returnCode"
         else
             echo "Exiting runner..."
             # Unregister signal handling before exit
diff --git a/src/Runner.Common/Constants.cs b/src/Runner.Common/Constants.cs
index 583958981a9..c3d56ec3c41 100644
--- a/src/Runner.Common/Constants.cs
+++ b/src/Runner.Common/Constants.cs
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ public static class ReturnCode
                 // and the runner should be restarted. This is a temporary code and will be removed in the future after
                 // the runner is migrated to runner admin.
                 public const int RunnerConfigurationRefreshed = 6;
+                public const int RunnerVersionDeprecated = 7;
             }
 
             public static class Features
@@ -277,6 +278,7 @@ public static class Actions
                 public static readonly string AllowUnsupportedCommands = "ACTIONS_ALLOW_UNSECURE_COMMANDS";
                 public static readonly string AllowUnsupportedStopCommandTokens = "ACTIONS_ALLOW_UNSECURE_STOPCOMMAND_TOKENS";
                 public static readonly string RequireJobContainer = "ACTIONS_RUNNER_REQUIRE_JOB_CONTAINER";
+                public static readonly string ReturnVersionDeprecatedExitCode = "ACTIONS_RUNNER_RETURN_VERSION_DEPRECATED_EXIT_CODE";
                 public static readonly string RunnerDebug = "ACTIONS_RUNNER_DEBUG";
                 public static readonly string StepDebug = "ACTIONS_STEP_DEBUG";
             }
diff --git a/src/Runner.Listener/Program.cs b/src/Runner.Listener/Program.cs
index 80852d32c4d..d2923736402 100644
--- a/src/Runner.Listener/Program.cs
+++ b/src/Runner.Listener/Program.cs
@@ -141,9 +141,9 @@ private async static Task<int> MainAsync(IHostContext context, string[] args)
             }
             catch (AccessDeniedException e) when (e.ErrorCode == 1)
             {
-                terminal.WriteError($"An error occured: {e.Message}");
+                terminal.WriteError($"An error occurred: {e.Message}");
                 trace.Error(e);
-                return Constants.Runner.ReturnCode.TerminatedError;
+                return GetRunnerVersionDeprecatedExitCode();
             }
             catch (RunnerNotFoundException e)
             {
@@ -159,6 +159,16 @@ private async static Task<int> MainAsync(IHostContext context, string[] args)
             }
         }
 
+        private static int GetRunnerVersionDeprecatedExitCode()
+        {
+            if (StringUtil.ConvertToBoolean(Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable(Constants.Variables.Actions.ReturnVersionDeprecatedExitCode)))
+            {
+                return Constants.Runner.ReturnCode.RunnerVersionDeprecated;
+            }
+
+            return Constants.Runner.ReturnCode.TerminatedError;
+        }
+
         private static void LoadAndSetEnv()
         {
             var binDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location);