diff --git a/spacy/download.py b/spacy/download.py
index 4aa94f128..f102072a9 100644
--- a/spacy/download.py
+++ b/spacy/download.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # coding: utf8
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
-import sys
 import pip
 import plac
 import requests
@@ -30,24 +29,27 @@ def get_compatibility():
     version = about.__version__
     r = requests.get(about.__compatibility__)
     if r.status_code != 200:
-        exit("Couldn't fetch compatibility table. Please find the right model for "
-             "your spaCy installation (v{v}), and download it manually:".format(v=version),
-             "python -m spacy.download [full model name + version] --direct",
-             title="Server error ({c})".format(c=r.status_code))
+        util.sys_exit(
+            "Couldn't fetch compatibility table. Please find the right model for "
+            "your spaCy installation (v{v}), and download it manually:".format(v=version),
+            "python -m spacy.download [full model name + version] --direct",
+            title="Server error ({c})".format(c=r.status_code))
 
     comp = r.json()['spacy']
     if version not in comp:
-        exit("No compatible models found for v{v} of spaCy.".format(v=version),
-             title="Compatibility error")
+        util.sys_exit(
+            "No compatible models found for v{v} of spaCy.".format(v=version),
+            title="Compatibility error")
     else:
         return comp[version]
 
 
 def get_version(model, comp):
     if model not in comp:
-        exit("No compatible model found for "
-             "{m} (spaCy v{v}).".format(m=model, v=about.__version__),
-             title="Compatibility error")
+        util.sys_exit(
+            "No compatible model found for "
+            "{m} (spaCy v{v}).".format(m=model, v=about.__version__),
+            title="Compatibility error")
     return comp[model][0]
 
 
@@ -59,20 +61,17 @@ def download_model(filename):
 
 def check_error_depr(model):
     if not model:
-        exit("python -m spacy.download [name or shortcut]",
-             title="Missing model name or shortcut")
+        util.sys_exit(
+            "python -m spacy.download [name or shortcut]",
+            title="Missing model name or shortcut")
 
     if model == 'all':
-        exit("As of v1.7.0, the download all command is deprecated. Please "
-             "download the models individually via spacy.download [model name] "
-             "or pip install. For more info on this, see the "
-             "documentation: {d}".format(d=about.__docs__),
-             title="Deprecated command")
-
-
-def exit(*messages, **kwargs):
-    util.print_msg(*messages, **kwargs)
-    sys.exit(0)
+        util.sys_exit(
+            "As of v1.7.0, the download all command is deprecated. Please "
+            "download the models individually via spacy.download [model name] "
+            "or pip install. For more info on this, see the documentation: "
+            "{d}".format(d=about.__docs__),
+            title="Deprecated command")
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/spacy/link.py b/spacy/link.py
index 686e69197..2626861fd 100644
--- a/spacy/link.py
+++ b/spacy/link.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 import io
 import os
-import sys
 import pip
 import site
 import plac
@@ -32,8 +31,9 @@ def link(origin, link_name, force=False):
 
 def symlink(model_path, link_name, force):
     if not os.path.isdir(model_path):
-        exit("The data should be located in {p}".format(p=model_path),
-                title="Can't locate model data")
+        util.sys_exit(
+            "The data should be located in {p}".format(p=model_path),
+            title="Can't locate model data")
 
     data_path = str(util.get_data_path())
     link_path = os.path.join(os.path.abspath(__file__ + '/../../'), data_path, link_name)
@@ -42,18 +42,21 @@ def symlink(model_path, link_name, force):
         if force:
             os.unlink(link_path)
         else:
-            exit("To overwrite an existing link, use the --force flag.",
-                 title="Link {l} already exists".format(l=link_name))
+            util.sys_exit(
+                "To overwrite an existing link, use the --force flag.",
+                title="Link {l} already exists".format(l=link_name))
 
     os.symlink(model_path, link_path)
-    util.print_msg("{a} --> {b}".format(a=model_path, b=link_path),
-                   "You can now load the model via spacy.load('{l}').".format(l=link_name),
-                   title="Linking successful")
+    util.print_msg(
+        "{a} --> {b}".format(a=model_path, b=link_path),
+        "You can now load the model via spacy.load('{l}').".format(l=link_name),
+        title="Linking successful")
+
 
 def get_meta(package_path, package):
     meta = util.parse_package_meta(package_path, package)
     if not meta:
-        exit()
+        util.sys_exit()
     return meta
 
 
@@ -65,11 +68,5 @@ def is_package(origin):
     return False
 
 
-def exit(*messages, **kwargs):
-    if messages:
-        util.print_msg(*messages, **kwargs)
-    sys.exit(0)
-
-
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     plac.call(link)
diff --git a/spacy/util.py b/spacy/util.py
index b5dbf882c..265b40d90 100644
--- a/spacy/util.py
+++ b/spacy/util.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import json
 import re
 import os.path
 import pathlib
+import sys
 
 import six
 import textwrap
@@ -173,3 +174,13 @@ def _wrap_text(text):
     wrap_width = wrap_max - len(indent)
     return textwrap.fill(text, width=wrap_width, initial_indent=indent,
                                subsequent_indent=indent)
+
+
+def sys_exit(*messages, **kwargs):
+    """Performs SystemExit. For modules used from the command line, like
+    download and link. To print message, use the same arguments as for
+    print_msg()."""
+
+    if messages:
+        print_msg(*messages, **kwargs)
+    sys.exit(0)