diff -up sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/envelope.c.exitpanic sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/envelope.c
--- sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/envelope.c.exitpanic	2008-03-31 18:32:13.000000000 +0200
+++ sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/envelope.c	2009-12-15 13:55:52.000000000 +0100
@@ -163,14 +163,14 @@ newenvelope(e, parent, rpool)
 **		split -- if true, split by recipient if message is queued up
 **
 **	Returns:
-**		none.
+**		true if savemail panic'ed.
 **
 **	Side Effects:
 **		housekeeping necessary to dispose of an envelope.
 **		Unlocks this queue file.
 */
 
-void
+bool
 dropenvelope(e, fulldrop, split)
 	register ENVELOPE *e;
 	bool fulldrop;
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ dropenvelope(e, fulldrop, split)
 
 	/* we must have an id to remove disk files */
 	if (id == NULL)
-		return;
+		return panic;
 
 	/* if verify-only mode, we can skip most of this */
 	if (OpMode == MD_VERIFY)
@@ -618,6 +618,8 @@ simpledrop:
 	}
 	e->e_id = NULL;
 	e->e_flags &= ~EF_HAS_DF;
+
+	return panic;
 }
 /*
 **  CLEARENVELOPE -- clear an envelope without unlocking
diff -up sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/main.c.exitpanic sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/main.c
--- sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/main.c.exitpanic	2008-03-31 18:32:13.000000000 +0200
+++ sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/main.c	2009-12-15 13:55:52.000000000 +0100
@@ -2952,7 +2952,9 @@ finis(drop, cleanup, exitstat)
 		{
 			if (CurEnv->e_id != NULL)
 			{
-				dropenvelope(CurEnv, true, false);
+				if (dropenvelope(CurEnv, true, false))
+					/* exit with OS error if savemail panic'ed */
+					exitstat = EX_OSERR;
 				sm_rpool_free(CurEnv->e_rpool);
 				CurEnv->e_rpool = NULL;
 
diff -up sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/sendmail.h.exitpanic sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/sendmail.h
--- sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/sendmail.h.exitpanic	2008-02-16 00:19:58.000000000 +0100
+++ sendmail-8.14.3/sendmail/sendmail.h	2009-12-15 13:55:52.000000000 +0100
@@ -982,7 +982,7 @@ extern ENVELOPE	BlankEnvelope;
 
 /* functions */
 extern void	clearenvelope __P((ENVELOPE *, bool, SM_RPOOL_T *));
-extern void	dropenvelope __P((ENVELOPE *, bool, bool));
+extern bool	dropenvelope __P((ENVELOPE *, bool, bool));
 extern ENVELOPE	*newenvelope __P((ENVELOPE *, ENVELOPE *, SM_RPOOL_T *));
 extern void	clrsessenvelope __P((ENVELOPE *));
 extern void	printenvflags __P((ENVELOPE *));