diff --git a/src/pkg/syscall/asm_plan9_386.s b/src/pkg/syscall/asm_plan9_386.s
index 86ebedccce..2ba1376081 100644
--- a/src/pkg/syscall/asm_plan9_386.s
+++ b/src/pkg/syscall/asm_plan9_386.s
@@ -149,3 +149,11 @@ copyresult6:
 	MOVSL
 	MOVSL
 	RET
+
+//func exit(code int)
+// Import runtime·exit for cleanly exiting.
+TEXT ·exit(SB),7,$4
+	MOVL	code+0(FP), AX
+	MOVL	AX, 0(SP)
+	CALL	runtime·exit(SB)
+	RET
diff --git a/src/pkg/syscall/syscall_plan9.go b/src/pkg/syscall/syscall_plan9.go
index 122a96f26d..c1f45f3a2c 100644
--- a/src/pkg/syscall/syscall_plan9.go
+++ b/src/pkg/syscall/syscall_plan9.go
@@ -69,23 +69,10 @@ func errstr() string {
 
 func Getpagesize() int { return 4096 }
 
-//sys	exits(msg *byte)
-func Exits(msg *string) {
-	if msg == nil {
-		exits(nil)
-	}
+// Implemented in assembly to import from runtime.
+func exit(int)
 
-	exits(StringBytePtr(*msg))
-}
-
-func Exit(code int) {
-	if code == 0 {
-		Exits(nil)
-	}
-
-	msg := itoa(code)
-	Exits(&msg)
-}
+func Exit(code int) { exit(code) }
 
 func readnum(path string) (uint, error) {
 	var b [12]byte