diff --git a/src/org/scratchOrgCreate.ts b/src/org/scratchOrgCreate.ts
index 82f378e13..4361656c7 100644
--- a/src/org/scratchOrgCreate.ts
+++ b/src/org/scratchOrgCreate.ts
@@ -287,17 +287,25 @@ export const scratchOrgCreate = async (options: ScratchOrgCreateOptions): Promis
     retry: retry || 0,
   });
 
-  // we'll need this scratch org connection later;
-  const scratchOrg = await Org.create({
-    aliasOrUsername: soi.Username ?? soi.SignupUsername,
+  // anything after this point (org is created and auth'd) is potentially recoverable with the resume scratch command.
+  process.exitCode = 68;
+
+  await scratchOrgAuthInfo.handleAliasAndDefaultSettings({
+    ...{
+      alias,
+      setDefault,
+      setDefaultDevHub: false,
+      setTracksSource: tracksSource === false ? false : true,
+    },
   });
+
+  // we'll need this scratch org connection later;
+  const scratchOrg = await Org.create({ aliasOrUsername: soi.Username ?? soi.SignupUsername });
   const username = scratchOrg.getUsername();
   logger.debug(`scratch org username ${username}`);
 
   await emit({ stage: 'deploy settings', scratchOrgInfo: soi });
-
   const configAggregator = await ConfigAggregator.create();
-
   const [authInfo] = await Promise.all([
     resolveUrl(scratchOrgAuthInfo),
     deploySettings(
@@ -311,18 +319,10 @@ export const scratchOrgCreate = async (options: ScratchOrgCreateOptions): Promis
     ),
   ]);
 
-  await scratchOrgAuthInfo.handleAliasAndDefaultSettings({
-    ...{
-      alias,
-      setDefault,
-      setDefaultDevHub: false,
-      setTracksSource: tracksSource === false ? false : true,
-    },
-  });
   cache.unset(scratchOrgInfoId);
   const authFields = authInfo.getFields();
   await Promise.all([emit({ stage: 'done', scratchOrgInfo: soi }), cache.write(), emitPostOrgCreate(authFields)]);
-
+  process.exitCode = 0;
   return {
     username,
     scratchOrgInfo: soi,
diff --git a/src/org/scratchOrgInfoApi.ts b/src/org/scratchOrgInfoApi.ts
index 7a297cb45..1ae21ef00 100644
--- a/src/org/scratchOrgInfoApi.ts
+++ b/src/org/scratchOrgInfoApi.ts
@@ -427,6 +427,7 @@ export const deploySettings = async (
 };
 
 /**
+ * Makes sure the scratch org's instanceUrl is resolvable (that is, DNS is ready)
  *
  * @param scratchOrgAuthInfo an AuthInfo class from the scratch org
  * @returns AuthInfo
@@ -435,13 +436,14 @@ export const resolveUrl = async (scratchOrgAuthInfo: AuthInfo): Promise<AuthInfo
   const logger = await Logger.child('scratchOrgInfoApi-resolveUrl');
   const { instanceUrl } = scratchOrgAuthInfo.getFields();
   if (!instanceUrl) {
-    const sfError = new SfError('Org does not have instanceUrl');
-    sfError.setData({
-      orgId: scratchOrgAuthInfo.getFields().orgId,
-      username: scratchOrgAuthInfo.getFields().username,
-      instanceUrl,
+    throw SfError.create({
+      message: 'Org does not have instanceUrl',
+      data: {
+        orgId: scratchOrgAuthInfo.getFields().orgId,
+        username: scratchOrgAuthInfo.getFields().username,
+        instanceUrl,
+      },
     });
-    throw sfError;
   }
   logger.debug(`processScratchOrgInfoResult - resultData.instanceUrl: ${instanceUrl}`);
   const options = {