diff --git a/salt/client/ssh/__init__.py b/salt/client/ssh/__init__.py
index d3aef688e0..3e5de01ad1 100644
--- a/salt/client/ssh/__init__.py
+++ b/salt/client/ssh/__init__.py
@@ -127,10 +127,10 @@ main()
         if "$py_cmd" -c 'import sys; sys.exit(not sys.hexversion >= 0x02060000);' >/dev/null 2>&1; then
             local py_cmd_path
             py_cmd_path=`"$py_cmd" -c 'import sys; print sys.executable;'`
-            echo "FOUND: $py_cmd_path" >&2
             exec $SUDO "$py_cmd_path" -c 'exec """{{SSH_PY_CODE}}""".decode("base64")' -- {{SSH_PY_ARGS}}
+            exit 0
         else
-            echo "WARNING: $py_cmd not found or too old" >&2
+            continue
         fi
     done
 
@@ -182,7 +182,10 @@ class SSH(object):
                     )
                 )
         if not os.path.isfile(priv):
-            salt.client.ssh.shell.gen_key(priv)
+            try:
+                salt.client.ssh.shell.gen_key(priv)
+            except OSError:
+                raise salt.exceptions.SaltClientError('salt-ssh could not be run because it could not generate keys.\n\nYou can probably resolve this by executing this script with increased permissions via sudo or by running as root.\nYou could also use the \'-c\' option to supply a configuration directory that you have permissions to read and write to.')
         self.defaults = {
             'user': self.opts.get(
                 'ssh_user',
@@ -341,6 +344,8 @@ class SSH(object):
         returned = set()
         rets = set()
         init = False
+        if not self.targets:
+            raise salt.exceptions.SaltClientError('No matching targets found in roster.')
         while True:
             if len(running) < self.opts.get('ssh_max_procs', 25) and not init:
                 try:
@@ -721,7 +726,7 @@ class Single(object):
         else:
             # RSTR was found in stdout but not stderr - which means there
             # is a SHIM command for the master.
-            shim_command = re.split(r'\r?\n', stdout, 1)[0].strip()
+            shim_command = re.split(r'\r?\n', stdout, 1)[1].strip()
             if 'deploy' == shim_command and retcode == salt.exitcodes.EX_THIN_DEPLOY:
                 self.deploy()
                 stdout, stderr, retcode = self.shell.exec_cmd(cmd_str)
diff --git a/salt/scripts.py b/salt/scripts.py
index 3a7b73957e..5435336162 100644
--- a/salt/scripts.py
+++ b/salt/scripts.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import time
 
 # Import salt libs
 import salt
+import salt.exceptions
 import salt.cli
 try:
     import salt.cloud.cli
@@ -121,6 +122,8 @@ def salt_ssh():
         client.run()
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
         raise SystemExit('\nExiting gracefully on Ctrl-c')
+    except salt.exceptions.SaltClientError as err:
+        raise SystemExit(err)
 
 
 def salt_cloud():