diff --git a/admin/tool/behat/locallib.php b/admin/tool/behat/locallib.php
index 33a5fd8c503..2d3b2f246ab 100644
--- a/admin/tool/behat/locallib.php
+++ b/admin/tool/behat/locallib.php
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class tool_behat {
 
         // We don't require the test environment to be enabled to list the steps definitions
         // so test writers can more easily set up the environment.
-        behat_command::check_behat_setup();
+        behat_command::behat_setup_problem();
 
         // The loaded steps depends on the component specified.
         behat_config_manager::update_config_file($component, false);
diff --git a/lib/behat/classes/behat_command.php b/lib/behat/classes/behat_command.php
index 8bdb123c34c..c0a5b05c0a8 100644
--- a/lib/behat/classes/behat_command.php
+++ b/lib/behat/classes/behat_command.php
@@ -101,9 +101,9 @@ class behat_command {
      * the behat help command to ensure it works as expected
      *
      * @param  bool $checkphp Extra check for the PHP version
-     * @return void
+     * @return int Error code or 0 if all ok
      */
-    public static function check_behat_setup($checkphp = false) {
+    public static function behat_setup_problem($checkphp = false) {
         global $CFG;
 
         // We don't check the PHP version if $CFG->behat_switchcompletely has been enabled.
@@ -123,20 +123,27 @@ class behat_command {
                 $docslink = html_writer::tag('a', $docslink, array('href' => $docslink, 'target' => '_blank'));
             }
             $msg .= '. ' . get_string('moreinfoin', 'tool_behat', $docslink);
-            notice($msg);
+
+            self::output_msg($msg);
+            return BEHAT_EXITCODE_COMPOSER;
         }
 
         // Behat test command.
         list($output, $code) = self::run(' --help');
 
         if ($code != 0) {
-            notice(get_string('wrongbehatsetup', 'tool_behat'));
+            // Returning composer error code to avoid conflicts with behat and moodle error codes.
+            self::output_msg(get_string('wrongbehatsetup', 'tool_behat'));
+            return BEHAT_EXITCODE_COMPOSER;
         }
 
-        // Checking behat dataroot existence otherwise notice about admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php.
+        // Checking behat dataroot existence otherwise echo about admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php.
         if (empty($CFG->behat_dataroot) || !is_dir($CFG->behat_dataroot) || !is_writable($CFG->behat_dataroot)) {
-            notice(get_string('runclitool', 'tool_behat', 'php admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php'));
+            self::output_msg(get_string('runclitool', 'tool_behat', 'php admin/tool/behat/cli/util.php'));
+            return BEHAT_EXITCODE_CONFIG;
         }
+
+        return 0;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -150,4 +157,22 @@ class behat_command {
         return true;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Outputs a message.
+     *
+     * Used in CLI + web UI methods. Stops the
+     * execution in web.
+     *
+     * @param string $msg
+     * @return void
+     */
+    protected static function output_msg($msg) {
+
+        if (!CLI_SCRIPT) {
+            notice($msg);
+        } else {
+            echo $msg;
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/lib/behat/classes/util.php b/lib/behat/classes/util.php
index 5fe4aa3ff38..33495c2bb44 100644
--- a/lib/behat/classes/util.php
+++ b/lib/behat/classes/util.php
@@ -176,7 +176,9 @@ class behat_util extends testing_util {
         }
 
         // Checks the behat set up and the PHP version.
-        behat_command::check_behat_setup(true);
+        if ($errorcode = behat_command::behat_setup_problem(true)) {
+            exit($code);
+        }
 
         // Check that test environment is correctly set up.
         self::test_environment_problem();
@@ -196,6 +198,26 @@ class behat_util extends testing_util {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the status of the behat test environment
+     *
+     * @return int Error code
+     */
+    public static function get_behat_status() {
+
+        if (!defined('BEHAT_UTIL')) {
+            throw new coding_exception('This method can be only used by Behat CLI tool');
+        }
+
+        // Checks the behat set up and the PHP version, returning an error code if something went wrong.
+        if ($errorcode = behat_command::behat_setup_problem(true)) {
+            return $code;
+        }
+
+        // Check that test environment is correctly set up, stops execution.
+        self::test_environment_problem();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Disables test mode
      * @throws coding_exception
diff --git a/lib/behat/lib.php b/lib/behat/lib.php
index dda2deb40b3..b1a747a31f3 100644
--- a/lib/behat/lib.php
+++ b/lib/behat/lib.php
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ define('BEHAT_EXITCODE_REQUIREMENT', 251);
 define('BEHAT_EXITCODE_PERMISSIONS', 252);
 define('BEHAT_EXITCODE_REINSTALL', 253);
 define('BEHAT_EXITCODE_INSTALL', 254);
+define('BEHAT_EXITCODE_COMPOSER', 255);
 
 /**
  * Exits with an error code