diff --git a/nifti2/nifti2_io.c b/nifti2/nifti2_io.c
index 70c136e8..8aa80c2a 100644
--- a/nifti2/nifti2_io.c
+++ b/nifti2/nifti2_io.c
@@ -6043,10 +6043,13 @@ nifti_image *nifti_image_read( const char *hname , int read_data )
 
    #ifdef REJECT_COMPLEX
    if ((nim->datatype == DT_COMPLEX64) || (nim->datatype == DT_COMPLEX128) || (nim->datatype == DT_COMPLEX256)) {
-      fprintf(stderr,"Image Exception Unsupported datatype (COMPLEX64): use fslcomplex to manipulate: %s\n", hname);
-      exit(13);
-    }
-    #endif
+      fprintf(stderr,"Image Exception Unsupported datatype (COMPLEX): use fslcomplex to manipulate: %s\n", hname);
+      nifti_image_free(nim);
+      znzclose(fp);
+      free(hfile);
+      return NULL;
+   }
+   #endif
 
    if( g_opts.debug > 3 ){
       fprintf(stderr,"+d nifti_image_read(), have nifti image:\n");
diff --git a/niftilib/CMakeLists.txt b/niftilib/CMakeLists.txt
index 23461e87..db49b7bc 100644
--- a/niftilib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/niftilib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@ if(NIFTI_BUILD_TESTING AND NIFTI_BUILD_APPLICATIONS)
     COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:${NIFTI_PACKAGE_PREFIX}nifti_short_read_test>
     )
 
+  if(FSLSTYLE_REJECT_COMPLEX)
+    add_executable(${NIFTI_PACKAGE_PREFIX}nifti_reject_complex_test nifti_reject_complex_test.c)
+    target_link_libraries(${NIFTI_PACKAGE_PREFIX}nifti_reject_complex_test ${NIFTI_NIFTILIB_NAME})
+    add_test(
+      NAME nifti_reject_complex
+      COMMAND $<TARGET_FILE:${NIFTI_PACKAGE_PREFIX}nifti_reject_complex_test>
+      )
+  endif()
+
   add_executable(nifti_second_test_program nifti_tester002.c)
   target_link_libraries(nifti_second_test_program ${NIFTI_PACKAGE_PREFIX}niftiio )
 
diff --git a/niftilib/nifti1_io.c b/niftilib/nifti1_io.c
index c9142554..24cfc1ef 100644
--- a/niftilib/nifti1_io.c
+++ b/niftilib/nifti1_io.c
@@ -4326,10 +4326,13 @@ nifti_image *nifti_image_read( const char *hname , int read_data )
 
    #ifdef REJECT_COMPLEX
    if ((nim->datatype == DT_COMPLEX64) || (nim->datatype == DT_COMPLEX128) || (nim->datatype == DT_COMPLEX256)) {
-      fprintf(stderr,"Image Exception Unsupported datatype (COMPLEX64): use fslcomplex to manipulate: %s\n", hname);
-      exit(13);
-    }
-    #endif
+      fprintf(stderr,"Image Exception Unsupported datatype (COMPLEX): use fslcomplex to manipulate: %s\n", hname);
+      nifti_image_free(nim);
+      znzclose(fp);
+      free(hfile);
+      return NULL;
+   }
+   #endif
 
    if( g_opts.debug > 3 ){
       fprintf(stderr,"+d nifti_image_read(), have nifti image:\n");
diff --git a/niftilib/nifti_reject_complex_test.c b/niftilib/nifti_reject_complex_test.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a0514b73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/niftilib/nifti_reject_complex_test.c
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+/* With REJECT_COMPLEX, nifti_image_read() must report a complex image to
+   its caller and keep reading non-complex images. */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include "nifti1_io.h"
+
+static int write_image(const char *fname, int datatype)
+{
+  int dims[8] = { 3, 4, 4, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1 };
+  nifti_image *nim = nifti_make_new_nim(dims, datatype, 1);
+  if( nim == NULL ){
+    fprintf(stderr, "FAILURE: could not create image for %s\n", fname);
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if( nifti_set_filenames(nim, fname, 0, 1) != 0 ){
+    fprintf(stderr, "FAILURE: could not set filenames for %s\n", fname);
+    nifti_image_free(nim);
+    return 1;
+  }
+  nifti_image_write(nim);
+  nifti_image_free(nim);
+  return 0;
+}
+
+int main(void)
+{
+  const char *cplx = "reject_complex_cplx.nii";
+  const char *real = "reject_complex_real.nii";
+  nifti_image *nim;
+
+  if( write_image(cplx, DT_COMPLEX64) ) return 1;
+  if( write_image(real, DT_FLOAT32) ) return 1;
+
+  nim = nifti_image_read(cplx, 1);
+  if( nim != NULL ){
+    fprintf(stderr, "FAILURE: complex image was accepted\n");
+    nifti_image_free(nim);
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  /* the rejection must be specific, not a blanket refusal */
+  nim = nifti_image_read(real, 1);
+  if( nim == NULL ){
+    fprintf(stderr, "FAILURE: non-complex image was rejected\n");
+    return 1;
+  }
+  nifti_image_free(nim);
+
+  printf("REJECT_COMPLEX test passed.\n");
+  return 0;
+}