diff --git a/src/cmd.rs b/src/cmd.rs
index d1cb5c1..46fad3c 100644
--- a/src/cmd.rs
+++ b/src/cmd.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
-use std::process::Command;
+use std::process::{Command, ExitStatus};
 
+use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+
+use crate::env::get_editor;
 use crate::Package;
 
-pub fn run_edit_command(files: &[PathBuf]) {
-    let mut cmd = Command::new("nvim");
+pub fn run_edit_command(files: &[PathBuf]) -> Result<ExitStatus> {
+    let mut cmd = Command::new(get_editor()?);
     for f in files {
         cmd.arg(f.to_string_lossy().to_string());
     }
-    cmd.exec();
+    cmd.status().map_err(|e| anyhow!(e))
 }
 
 pub fn run_install_command(diff: Vec<Package>) {
diff --git a/src/core.rs b/src/core.rs
index e522e3f..daa744b 100644
--- a/src/core.rs
+++ b/src/core.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 use std::process::exit;
 
+use anyhow::{bail, Result};
+use clap::ArgMatches;
+
 use crate::action;
 use crate::cmd::{run_edit_command, run_install_command};
 use crate::db::{get_all_installed_packages, get_explicitly_installed_packages};
 use crate::Group;
 use crate::Package;
 
-use clap::ArgMatches;
-
 pub struct Pacdef {
     pub(crate) args: ArgMatches,
     pub(crate) groups: Option<HashSet<Group>>,
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ impl Pacdef {
 
     pub fn run_action_from_arg(self) {
         match self.args.subcommand() {
-            Some((action::EDIT, groups)) => self.edit_group_files(groups),
+            Some((action::EDIT, groups)) => self.edit_group_files(groups).unwrap(),
             Some((action::GROUPS, _)) => self.show_groups(),
             Some((action::SYNC, _)) => self.install_packages(),
             Some((action::UNMANAGED, _)) => self.show_unmanaged_packages(),
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ impl Pacdef {
         }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn edit_group_files(&self, groups: &ArgMatches) {
+    pub(crate) fn edit_group_files(&self, groups: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
         let files: Vec<_> = groups
             .get_many::<String>("group")
             .unwrap()
@@ -81,7 +82,11 @@ impl Pacdef {
                 buf
             })
             .collect();
-        run_edit_command(&files)
+        if run_edit_command(&files)?.success() {
+            Ok(())
+        } else {
+            bail!("command exited with error")
+        }
     }
 
     pub(crate) fn show_version(self) {
diff --git a/src/env.rs b/src/env.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..029da38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/env.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+use std::env::var;
+
+use anyhow::{anyhow, Result};
+
+pub(crate) fn get_editor() -> Result<String> {
+    check_vars_in_order(&["EDITOR", "VISUAL"]).ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("could not find editor"))
+}
+
+fn check_vars_in_order(vars: &[&str]) -> Option<String> {
+    vars.iter().flat_map(|v| var(v).ok()).next()
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 0eb615d..bab3e45 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ pub mod args;
 mod cmd;
 mod core;
 pub mod db;
+mod env;
 mod group;
 mod package;
 mod path;