diff --git a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
index f35091d167..ab8243d00f 100644
--- a/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
+++ b/src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-client.c
@@ -517,20 +517,12 @@ daemon_watch_cb(GPid pid, int status, gpointer user_data)
 {
     NMDhcpClient *       self = NM_DHCP_CLIENT(user_data);
     NMDhcpClientPrivate *priv = NM_DHCP_CLIENT_GET_PRIVATE(self);
+    gs_free char *       desc = NULL;
 
     g_return_if_fail(priv->watch_id);
     priv->watch_id = 0;
 
-    if (WIFEXITED(status))
-        _LOGI("client pid %d exited with status %d", pid, WEXITSTATUS(status));
-    else if (WIFSIGNALED(status))
-        _LOGI("client pid %d killed by signal %d", pid, WTERMSIG(status));
-    else if (WIFSTOPPED(status))
-        _LOGI("client pid %d stopped by signal %d", pid, WSTOPSIG(status));
-    else if (WIFCONTINUED(status))
-        _LOGI("client pid %d resumed (by SIGCONT)", pid);
-    else
-        _LOGW("client died abnormally");
+    _LOGI("client pid %d %s", pid, (desc = nm_utils_get_process_exit_status_desc(status)));
 
     priv->pid = -1;
 
diff --git a/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher.c b/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher.c
index eb1781faf6..5df329592d 100644
--- a/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher.c
+++ b/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher.c
@@ -361,8 +361,8 @@ complete_script(ScriptInfo *script)
 static void
 script_watch_cb(GPid pid, int status, gpointer user_data)
 {
-    ScriptInfo *script = user_data;
-    guint       err;
+    ScriptInfo *  script      = user_data;
+    gs_free char *status_desc = NULL;
 
     g_assert(pid == script->pid);
 
@@ -372,23 +372,11 @@ script_watch_cb(GPid pid, int status, gpointer user_data)
     if (!script->wait)
         script->request->num_scripts_nowait--;
 
-    if (WIFEXITED(status)) {
-        err = WEXITSTATUS(status);
-        if (err == 0)
-            script->result = DISPATCH_RESULT_SUCCESS;
-        else {
-            script->error =
-                g_strdup_printf("Script '%s' exited with error status %d.", script->script, err);
-        }
-    } else if (WIFSTOPPED(status)) {
-        script->error = g_strdup_printf("Script '%s' stopped unexpectedly with signal %d.",
-                                        script->script,
-                                        WSTOPSIG(status));
-    } else if (WIFSIGNALED(status)) {
-        script->error =
-            g_strdup_printf("Script '%s' died with signal %d", script->script, WTERMSIG(status));
+    if (WIFEXITED(status) && WEXITSTATUS(status) == 0) {
+        script->result = DISPATCH_RESULT_SUCCESS;
     } else {
-        script->error = g_strdup_printf("Script '%s' died from an unknown cause", script->script);
+        status_desc   = nm_utils_get_process_exit_status_desc(status);
+        script->error = g_strdup_printf("Script '%s' %s.", script->script, status_desc);
     }
 
     if (script->result == DISPATCH_RESULT_SUCCESS) {