diff --git a/scripts/check-format.sh b/scripts/check-format.sh
index c88442c95930fb64b64fd0f649dde180135a1f29..1302b5e03df82084b9a2b003b6a14e5e586f5b7a 100755
--- a/scripts/check-format.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-format.sh
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
 if [ ! -d "lib_com" ]; then
     echo "not in root directory! - please run in IVAS root"
-    exit 1
+    exit 255
 fi
 
 CLANG_FORMAT=clang-format
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Usage: $(basename "$0") [OPTIONS] [FILES]
   -p NUMPROCS run in parallel 
   -h          display help
 EOM
-    exit 2
+    exit 254
 }
 
 cl-format-check-version() {
@@ -147,30 +147,43 @@ FILES="$@"
 
 if [ ! -d "lib_com" ]; then
     echo "not in root directory! - please run in IVAS root"
-    exit 1
+    exit 253
 fi
 
 if [ ! $NOVERSION ]; then
     if [[ $(cl-format-check-version) != "${CLANG_FORMAT_REQUIRED_VERSION}"* ]]; then
         echo "clang-format must be version ${CLANG_FORMAT_REQUIRED_VERSION} but is $(cl-format-check-version) !!!"
         echo "Executables for Win32 could be downloaded from https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/releases/download/llvmorg-13.0.1/LLVM-13.0.1-win32.exe"
-        exit 2
+        exit 252
     fi
 fi
 
 if [ -z "$FILES" ]; then
     if [ $ALL ]; then
         FILES=$(ls lib*/*.[c,h] apps/*.[c,h])
-    else
+    elif [ -d ".svn" ]; then
         if [ ! -x "$(command -v svn)" ]; then
             echo "Subversion doesn't seem to be installed. Please ensure svn is in your PATH"
-            exit 3
+            exit 251
         fi
         if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
             FILES=$(svn st | grep '^M' | cut -b 9- | grep -E "\.c|\.h")
         else
             FILES=$(svn st | grep '^M' | cut -b 9- | grep '\.c$\|\.h$')
         fi
+    elif [ -d ".git" ]; then
+        if [ ! -x "$(command -v git)" ]; then
+            echo "GIT doesn't seem to be installed. Please ensure git is in your PATH"
+            exit 251
+        fi
+        if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
+            FILES=$(git status | grep 'modified: ' | cut -b 14- | grep -E "\.c|\.h")
+        else
+            FILES=$(git status | grep 'modified: ' | cut -b 14- | grep '\.c$\|\.h$')
+        fi
+    else
+        echo "Warning: no files checked (either no cmdl params or no modified files)"
+        exit 0
     fi
     for i in ${EXCLUDE_FILES}; do
         FILES=$(echo ${FILES} | xargs -n 1 | grep -v ${i} | tr '\n' ' ')
@@ -189,21 +202,35 @@ if [[ $NUMPROCS -lt 2 ]]; then
     done
     if [[ $NUMFAILS -gt 0 ]]; then
         echo "Total fails:  $NUMFAILS"
-        exit 1
+#        exit $NUMFAILS  ## uncomment if script should have num fails as return code
     fi
 else
+    NUMFAILS=0
+    NUMFAILSTMPFILE=$(mktemp)
     # parallel processing. Note that return code is always 0 then and fails are not counted
     for i in ${FILES}; do
         (
         cl-format-check $i $COLOR
+        RET=$?
+        if [[ $RET -gt 0 ]]
+        then
+            echo "1" >> "$NUMFAILSTMPFILE"
+        fi
+        ((NUMFAILS+=RET))
         if [ $FORMAT ]; then
             cl-format-apply $i
         fi ) &
         while [[ $(jobs -r -p | wc -l) -ge $NUMPROCS ]];do
-            sleep 0.1 
+            sleep 0.1
         done
     done
     wait
+    NUMFAILS=`cat $NUMFAILSTMPFILE | wc -l`
+    rm "$NUMFAILSTMPFILE"
+    if [[ $NUMFAILS -gt 0 ]]; then
+        echo "Total fails:  $NUMFAILS"
+#        exit $NUMFAILS  ## uncomment if script should have num fails as return code
+    fi
 fi
 
 exit 0