diff --git a/mercurial/dispatch.py b/mercurial/dispatch.py
--- a/mercurial/dispatch.py
+++ b/mercurial/dispatch.py
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@
                     hint = _(b"'%s' is provided by '%s' extension") % (cmd, ext)
                 except error.UnknownCommand:
                     pass
-            raise error.Abort(self.badalias, hint=hint)
+            raise error.ConfigError(self.badalias, hint=hint)
         if self.shadows:
             ui.debug(
                 b"alias '%s' shadows command '%s'\n" % (self.name, self.cmdname)
diff --git a/tests/test-alias.t b/tests/test-alias.t
--- a/tests/test-alias.t
+++ b/tests/test-alias.t
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@
 unknown
 
   $ hg unknown
-  abort: alias 'unknown' resolves to unknown command 'bargle'
-  [255]
+  config error: alias 'unknown' resolves to unknown command 'bargle'
+  [30]
   $ hg help unknown
   alias 'unknown' resolves to unknown command 'bargle'
 
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@
 ambiguous
 
   $ hg ambiguous
-  abort: alias 'ambiguous' resolves to ambiguous command 's'
-  [255]
+  config error: alias 'ambiguous' resolves to ambiguous command 's'
+  [30]
   $ hg help ambiguous
   alias 'ambiguous' resolves to ambiguous command 's'
 
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@
 recursive
 
   $ hg recursive
-  abort: alias 'recursive' resolves to unknown command 'recursive'
-  [255]
+  config error: alias 'recursive' resolves to unknown command 'recursive'
+  [30]
   $ hg help recursive
   alias 'recursive' resolves to unknown command 'recursive'
 
@@ -235,9 +235,9 @@
 disabled
 
   $ hg disabled
-  abort: alias 'disabled' resolves to unknown command 'email'
+  config error: alias 'disabled' resolves to unknown command 'email'
   ('email' is provided by 'patchbomb' extension)
-  [255]
+  [30]
   $ hg help disabled
   alias 'disabled' resolves to unknown command 'email'
   
@@ -251,8 +251,8 @@
 no definition
 
   $ hg nodef
-  abort: no definition for alias 'nodefinition'
-  [255]
+  config error: no definition for alias 'nodefinition'
+  [30]
   $ hg help nodef
   no definition for alias 'nodefinition'
 
@@ -260,8 +260,8 @@
 no closing quotation
 
   $ hg noclosing
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'noclosingquotation': No closing quotation
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'noclosingquotation': No closing quotation
+  [30]
   $ hg help noclosing
   error in definition for alias 'noclosingquotation': No closing quotation
 
@@ -275,37 +275,37 @@
 invalid options
 
   $ hg no--cwd
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'no--cwd': --cwd may only be given on the command line
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'no--cwd': --cwd may only be given on the command line
+  [30]
   $ hg help no--cwd
   error in definition for alias 'no--cwd': --cwd may only be given on the
   command line
   $ hg no-R
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'no-R': -R may only be given on the command line
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'no-R': -R may only be given on the command line
+  [30]
   $ hg help no-R
   error in definition for alias 'no-R': -R may only be given on the command line
   $ hg no--repo
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'no--repo': --repo may only be given on the command line
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'no--repo': --repo may only be given on the command line
+  [30]
   $ hg help no--repo
   error in definition for alias 'no--repo': --repo may only be given on the
   command line
   $ hg no--repository
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'no--repository': --repository may only be given on the command line
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'no--repository': --repository may only be given on the command line
+  [30]
   $ hg help no--repository
   error in definition for alias 'no--repository': --repository may only be given
   on the command line
   $ hg no--config
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'no--config': --config may only be given on the command line
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'no--config': --config may only be given on the command line
+  [30]
   $ hg no --config alias.no='--repo elsewhere --cwd elsewhere status'
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'no': --repo/--cwd may only be given on the command line
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'no': --repo/--cwd may only be given on the command line
+  [30]
   $ hg no --config alias.no='--repo elsewhere'
-  abort: error in definition for alias 'no': --repo may only be given on the command line
-  [255]
+  config error: error in definition for alias 'no': --repo may only be given on the command line
+  [30]
 
 optional repository
 
@@ -631,11 +631,11 @@
   $ hg help invalidhelp
   non-ASCII character in alias definition 'invalidhelp:help'
   $ hg invaliddoc
-  abort: non-ASCII character in alias definition 'invaliddoc:doc'
-  [255]
+  config error: non-ASCII character in alias definition 'invaliddoc:doc'
+  [30]
   $ hg invalidhelp
-  abort: non-ASCII character in alias definition 'invalidhelp:help'
-  [255]
+  config error: non-ASCII character in alias definition 'invalidhelp:help'
+  [30]
 
 invalid arguments