diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResult.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResult.java
index 8d09f96..6054f65 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResult.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResult.java
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 
 /** The result of a {@link Spawn}'s execution. */
 public interface SpawnResult {
+
+  int POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE = /*SIGNAL_BASE=*/ 128 + /*SIGALRM=*/ 14;
+
   /** The status of the attempted Spawn execution. */
   enum Status {
     /** Subprocess executed successfully, and returned a zero exit code. */
@@ -91,17 +94,25 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns whether the spawn was actually run, regardless of the exit code. I.e., returns
-   * {@code true} if {@link #status} is any of {@link Status#SUCCESS}, {@link Status#NON_ZERO_EXIT},
-   * {@link Status#TIMEOUT} or {@link Status#OUT_OF_MEMORY}.
+   * Returns whether the spawn was actually run, regardless of the exit code. I.e., returns {@code
+   * true} if {@link #status} is any of {@link Status#SUCCESS}, {@link Status#NON_ZERO_EXIT}, {@link
+   * Status#TIMEOUT} or {@link Status#OUT_OF_MEMORY}.
    *
    * <p>Returns false if there were errors that prevented the spawn from being run, such as network
    * errors, missing local files, errors setting up sandboxing, etc.
    */
-  boolean setupSuccess();
+  default boolean setupSuccess() {
+    Status status = status();
+    return status == Status.SUCCESS
+        || status == Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT
+        || status == Status.TIMEOUT
+        || status == Status.OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+  }
 
   /** Returns true if the status was {@link Status#EXECUTION_FAILED_CATASTROPHICALLY}. */
-  boolean isCatastrophe();
+  default boolean isCatastrophe() {
+    return status() == Status.EXECUTION_FAILED_CATASTROPHICALLY;
+  }
 
   /** Returns the status of the attempted Spawn execution. */
   Status status();
@@ -116,7 +127,10 @@
    *
    * <p>Returns 128 + 14 (corresponding to the Unix signal SIGALRM) if {@link #status} returns
    * {@link Status#TIMEOUT}.
+   *
+   * <p>Otherwise, the returned value is not meaningful.
    */
+  // TODO(mschaller): clean up all uses of this method when {@code !this.setupSuccess()}
   int exitCode();
 
   /**
@@ -257,19 +271,6 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public boolean setupSuccess() {
-      return status == Status.SUCCESS
-          || status == Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT
-          || status == Status.TIMEOUT
-          || status == Status.OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-    }
-
-    @Override
-    public boolean isCatastrophe() {
-      return status == Status.EXECUTION_FAILED_CATASTROPHICALLY;
-    }
-
-    @Override
     public int exitCode() {
       return exitCode;
     }
@@ -416,10 +417,9 @@
       Preconditions.checkArgument(!runnerName.isEmpty());
       if (status == Status.SUCCESS) {
         Preconditions.checkArgument(exitCode == 0);
-      }
-      if (status == Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT
-          || status == Status.TIMEOUT
-          || status == Status.OUT_OF_MEMORY) {
+      } else if (status == Status.TIMEOUT) {
+        Preconditions.checkArgument(exitCode == POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE);
+      } else if (status == Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT || status == Status.OUT_OF_MEMORY) {
         Preconditions.checkArgument(exitCode != 0);
       }
       return new SimpleSpawnResult(this);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/local/LocalSpawnRunner.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/local/LocalSpawnRunner.java
index 3916de0..67e58c5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/local/LocalSpawnRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/exec/local/LocalSpawnRunner.java
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.exec.BinTools;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.exec.RunfilesTreeUpdater;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.exec.SpawnRunner;
-import com.google.devtools.build.lib.exec.SpawnRunner.SpawnExecutionContext;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.profiler.Profiler;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.profiler.ProfilerTask;
 import com.google.devtools.build.lib.profiler.SilentCloseable;
@@ -75,7 +74,6 @@
   private static final Joiner SPACE_JOINER = Joiner.on(' ');
   private static final String UNHANDLED_EXCEPTION_MSG = "Unhandled exception running a local spawn";
   private static final int LOCAL_EXEC_ERROR = -1;
-  private static final int POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE = /*SIGNAL_BASE=*/ 128 + /*SIGALRM=*/ 14;
 
   private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(LocalSpawnRunner.class.getName());
 
@@ -416,7 +414,8 @@
         boolean wasTimeout =
             terminationStatus.timedOut()
                 || (useProcessWrapper && wasTimeout(context.getTimeout(), wallTime));
-        int exitCode = wasTimeout ? POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE : terminationStatus.getRawExitCode();
+        int exitCode =
+            wasTimeout ? SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE : terminationStatus.getRawExitCode();
         Status status =
             wasTimeout ? Status.TIMEOUT : (exitCode == 0 ? Status.SUCCESS : Status.NON_ZERO_EXIT);
         SpawnResult.Builder spawnResultBuilder =
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java
index b4337be..e6c4e0e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/remote/RemoteSpawnRunner.java
@@ -100,8 +100,6 @@
 @ThreadSafe
 public class RemoteSpawnRunner implements SpawnRunner {
 
-  private static final int POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE = /*SIGNAL_BASE=*/ 128 + /*SIGALRM=*/ 14;
-
   private static final String VIOLATION_TYPE_MISSING = "MISSING";
 
   private static boolean retriableExecErrors(Exception e) {
@@ -460,7 +458,7 @@
         return new SpawnResult.Builder()
             .setRunnerName(getName())
             .setStatus(Status.TIMEOUT)
-            .setExitCode(POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE)
+            .setExitCode(SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE)
             .build();
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java
index 9e39874..18e9eb6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/sandbox/AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner.java
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@
 /** Abstract common ancestor for sandbox spawn runners implementing the common parts. */
 abstract class AbstractSandboxSpawnRunner implements SpawnRunner {
   private static final int LOCAL_EXEC_ERROR = -1;
-  private static final int POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE = /*SIGNAL_BASE=*/128 + /*SIGALRM=*/14;
 
   private static final String SANDBOX_DEBUG_SUGGESTION =
       "\n\nUse --sandbox_debug to see verbose messages from the sandbox";
@@ -193,7 +192,8 @@
     boolean wasTimeout =
         (useSubprocessTimeout && terminationStatus.timedOut())
             || (!useSubprocessTimeout && wasTimeout(timeout, wallTime));
-    int exitCode = wasTimeout ? POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE : terminationStatus.getRawExitCode();
+    int exitCode =
+        wasTimeout ? SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE : terminationStatus.getRawExitCode();
     Status status =
         wasTimeout
             ? Status.TIMEOUT
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResultTest.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResultTest.java
index 59de66f..2e9b0ff 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResultTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/actions/SpawnResultTest.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
         new SpawnResult.Builder()
             .setStatus(SpawnResult.Status.TIMEOUT)
             .setWallTime(Duration.ofSeconds(5))
-            .setExitCode(1)
+            .setExitCode(SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE)
             .setRunnerName("test")
             .build();
     assertThat(r.getDetailMessage("", "", false, false, false))
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
     SpawnResult r =
         new SpawnResult.Builder()
             .setStatus(SpawnResult.Status.TIMEOUT)
-            .setExitCode(1)
+            .setExitCode(SpawnResult.POSIX_TIMEOUT_EXIT_CODE)
             .setRunnerName("test")
             .build();
     assertThat(r.getDetailMessage("", "", false, false, false))