diff --git a/packages/devp2p/examples/simple.ts b/packages/devp2p/examples/simple.ts
index 817f5940f3..ec9da7871e 100644
--- a/packages/devp2p/examples/simple.ts
+++ b/packages/devp2p/examples/simple.ts
@@ -43,5 +43,5 @@ for (const bootnode of BOOTNODES) {
 }
 
 setTimeout(() => {
-  process.exit()
+  throw new Error('Test timed out')
 }, TIMEOUT)
diff --git a/packages/vm/examples/run-blockchain.ts b/packages/vm/examples/run-blockchain.ts
index 2bf149bcf7..e9e5ff1840 100644
--- a/packages/vm/examples/run-blockchain.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/examples/run-blockchain.ts
@@ -94,8 +94,3 @@ async function putBlocks(blockchain: Blockchain, common: Common, data: typeof te
 }
 
 main()
-  .then(() => process.exit(0))
-  .catch((err) => {
-    console.error(err)
-    process.exit(1)
-  })
diff --git a/packages/vm/examples/run-solidity-contract.ts b/packages/vm/examples/run-solidity-contract.ts
index be27a79ccc..8fad4f84c5 100644
--- a/packages/vm/examples/run-solidity-contract.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/examples/run-solidity-contract.ts
@@ -228,8 +228,3 @@ async function main() {
 }
 
 main()
-  .then(() => process.exit(0))
-  .catch((err) => {
-    console.error(err)
-    process.exit(1)
-  })
diff --git a/packages/vm/examples/vmWithGenesisState.ts b/packages/vm/examples/vmWithGenesisState.ts
index 248e48b102..892d360e9f 100644
--- a/packages/vm/examples/vmWithGenesisState.ts
+++ b/packages/vm/examples/vmWithGenesisState.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const main = async () => {
   const account = await vm.stateManager.getAccount(
     createAddressFromString('0x000d836201318ec6899a67540690382780743280'),
   )
+  console.log(account)
   console.log(
     `This balance for account 0x000d836201318ec6899a67540690382780743280 in this chain's genesis state is ${Number(
       account?.balance,
diff --git a/scripts/examples-runner.ts b/scripts/examples-runner.ts
index 62d60db054..0537b46c8e 100644
--- a/scripts/examples-runner.ts
+++ b/scripts/examples-runner.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
+import { readdirSync } from 'fs'
 import { extname, join } from 'path'
-import { readdir } from 'fs'
 
 const pkg = process.argv[3]
 if (!pkg) {
@@ -9,17 +9,16 @@ if (!pkg) {
 const examplesPath = `../packages/${pkg}/examples/`
 const path = join(__dirname, examplesPath)
 
-readdir(path, async (err, files) => {
-  if (err) {
-    throw new Error('Error loading examples directory: ' + err.message)
-  }
-
-  const getTsFiles = (fileName: string): Promise<NodeModule> | undefined => {
-    if (extname(fileName) === '.cts' || extname(fileName) === '.ts') {
-      return import(examplesPath + fileName)
-    }
+const getTsFiles = (fileName: string): Promise<NodeModule> | undefined => {
+  if (extname(fileName) === '.cts' || extname(fileName) === '.ts') {
+    return import(examplesPath + fileName)
   }
+}
 
+const main = async () => {
+  const files = readdirSync(path)
   const importedFiles = files.map(getTsFiles).filter((file) => file)
   await Promise.all(importedFiles)
-})
+}
+
+main()