diff --git a/src/tools/gxpkg.ss b/src/tools/gxpkg.ss
index b9082d528..394a6907c 100644
--- a/src/tools/gxpkg.ss
+++ b/src/tools/gxpkg.ss
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@
         pkg-retag
         pkg-plist pkg-dependents pkg-dependents*)
 
+;; TODO: move that to general-purpose runtime support, and
+;; have it throw an exception that is caught by the bottom runtime handler.
+(def (abort msg)
+  (eprintf "~a\n" msg)
+  (exit 2))
+
 (def (main . args)
   (def local-flag
     (flag 'local "-l" "--local"
@@ -342,8 +348,7 @@
 (def (pkg-new package-prefix package-name maybe-link)
   (def prefix (or package-prefix
                   (getenv "USER" #f)
-                  (begin (eprintf "Package prefix not specified with -p or --package, and USER not defined\n")
-                         (exit 2))))
+                  (abort "Package prefix not specified with -p or --package, and USER not defined")))
   (def name (or package-name
                 (path-strip-directory (path-normalize* (current-directory)))))
   (def (create-template file template . args)