diff --git a/internal/base/exit.go b/internal/base/exit.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..761a4f48327
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/base/exit.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The LevelDB-Go and Pebble Authors. All rights reserved. Use
+// of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be found in
+// the LICENSE file.
+
+package base
+
+import "os"
+
+// Exit is called when Pebble needs to terminate the process due to an
+// invariant violation. By default it calls os.Exit, but embedders
+// (e.g. CockroachDB) can override it to route through their own fatal
+// logging infrastructure for better crash visibility.
+var Exit = func(code int) {
+	os.Exit(code)
+}
diff --git a/internal/base/logger.go b/internal/base/logger.go
index 3d475648661..1f77148c00a 100644
--- a/internal/base/logger.go
+++ b/internal/base/logger.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
-	"os"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/invariants"
@@ -41,7 +40,7 @@ func (defaultLogger) Errorf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
 // Fatalf implements the Logger.Fatalf interface.
 func (defaultLogger) Fatalf(format string, args ...interface{}) {
 	_ = log.Output(2, fmt.Sprintf(format, args...))
-	os.Exit(1)
+	Exit(1)
 }
 
 // InMemLogger implements Logger using an in-memory buffer (used for testing).
diff --git a/internal/cache/block_map.go b/internal/cache/block_map.go
index 7fe701f9a79..d644c953c34 100644
--- a/internal/cache/block_map.go
+++ b/internal/cache/block_map.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"unsafe"
 
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/base"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/invariants"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/manual"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/swiss"
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ func newBlockMap(initialCapacity int) *blockMap {
 		m := obj.(*blockMap)
 		if !m.closed {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%p: block-map not closed\n", m)
-			os.Exit(1)
+			base.Exit(1)
 		}
 	})
 	return m
diff --git a/internal/cache/cache.go b/internal/cache/cache.go
index 047e7fb57d4..8be48c9c368 100644
--- a/internal/cache/cache.go
+++ b/internal/cache/cache.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ func NewWithShards(size int64, shards int) *Cache {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s\n", strings.Join(c.tr.msgs, "\n"))
 			}
 			c.tr.Unlock()
-			os.Exit(1)
+			base.Exit(1)
 		}
 	})
 	return c
diff --git a/internal/cache/clockpro.go b/internal/cache/clockpro.go
index ca1e9e069d0..99247ac0f9d 100644
--- a/internal/cache/clockpro.go
+++ b/internal/cache/clockpro.go
@@ -500,17 +500,17 @@ func (c *shard) metaCheck(e *entry) {
 		if _, ok := c.entries[e]; ok {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%p: %s unexpectedly found in entries map\n%s",
 				e, e.key, debug.Stack())
-			os.Exit(1)
+			base.Exit(1)
 		}
 		if c.blocks.findByValue(e) {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%p: %s unexpectedly found in blocks map\n%#v\n%s",
 				e, e.key, &c.blocks, debug.Stack())
-			os.Exit(1)
+			base.Exit(1)
 		}
 		if c.files.findByValue(e) {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%p: %s unexpectedly found in files map\n%#v\n%s",
 				e, e.key, &c.files, debug.Stack())
-			os.Exit(1)
+			base.Exit(1)
 		}
 		// NB: c.hand{Hot,Cold,Test} are pointers into a single linked list. We
 		// only have to traverse one of them to check all of them.
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ func (c *shard) metaCheck(e *entry) {
 			if e == t {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%p: %s unexpectedly found in blocks list\n%s",
 					e, e.key, debug.Stack())
-				os.Exit(1)
+				base.Exit(1)
 			}
 			if t == c.handHot {
 				break
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ func (c *shard) metaCheck(e *entry) {
 				c.countHot, c.sizeHot, c.countCold, c.sizeCold, c.countTest, c.sizeTest,
 				countHot, sizeHot, countCold, sizeCold, countTest, sizeTest,
 				debug.Stack())
-			os.Exit(1)
+			base.Exit(1)
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/cache/entry.go b/internal/cache/entry.go
index ba52b3317b5..b62088e1459 100644
--- a/internal/cache/entry.go
+++ b/internal/cache/entry.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"unsafe"
 
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/base"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/buildtags"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/invariants"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/manual"
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ func entryAllocNew() *entry {
 			e := obj.(*entry)
 			if *e != (entry{}) {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%p: entry was not freed", e)
-				os.Exit(1)
+				base.Exit(1)
 			}
 		})
 		return e
diff --git a/internal/cache/value.go b/internal/cache/value.go
index 03a3bc7bb11..1e8de7a7f43 100644
--- a/internal/cache/value.go
+++ b/internal/cache/value.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"unsafe"
 
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/errors"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/base"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/buildtags"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/invariants"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/manual"
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ func Alloc(n int) *Value {
 			if v.buf != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%p: cache value was not freed: refs=%d\n%s",
 					v, v.refs(), v.ref.traces())
-				os.Exit(1)
+				base.Exit(1)
 			}
 		})
 		return v
diff --git a/mem_table.go b/mem_table.go
index 984cd4fdf5a..ef5999057ab 100644
--- a/mem_table.go
+++ b/mem_table.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func checkMemTable(obj interface{}) {
 	m := obj.(*memTable)
 	if m.arenaBuf.Data() != nil {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v: memTable buffer was not freed\n", m.arenaBuf)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		base.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/objstorage/objstorageprovider/vfs_readable.go b/objstorage/objstorageprovider/vfs_readable.go
index 0e9cd905cc7..413b81fa304 100644
--- a/objstorage/objstorageprovider/vfs_readable.go
+++ b/objstorage/objstorageprovider/vfs_readable.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"sync"
 
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/base"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/internal/invariants"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/objstorage"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/pebble/vfs"
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func newFileReadable(
 		invariants.SetFinalizer(r, func(obj interface{}) {
 			if obj.(*fileReadable).file != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Readable %s was not closed\n%s", filename, stack)
-				os.Exit(1)
+				base.Exit(1)
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ var readHandlePool = sync.Pool{
 			invariants.SetFinalizer(i, func(obj interface{}) {
 				if obj.(*vfsReadHandle).r != nil {
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ReadHandle was not closed")
-					os.Exit(1)
+					base.Exit(1)
 				}
 			})
 		}
diff --git a/open.go b/open.go
index 3edf11ed497..82396a37410 100644
--- a/open.go
+++ b/open.go
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ func Open(dirname string, opts *Options) (db *DB, err error) {
 		v := obj.(*atomic.Value)
 		if err := v.Load(); err == nil {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%s: unreferenced DB not closed\n", dPtr)
-			os.Exit(1)
+			base.Exit(1)
 		}
 	})
 
diff --git a/options.go b/options.go
index 5733690f741..7e83318269d 100644
--- a/options.go
+++ b/options.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"os"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
 	"slices"
@@ -943,6 +944,12 @@ type Options struct {
 	// LoggerAndTracer is used for writing log messages and traces.
 	LoggerAndTracer LoggerAndTracer
 
+	// ExitFunc is called when Pebble needs to terminate the process due to
+	// an invariant violation. If nil, os.Exit is used. Embedders (e.g.
+	// CockroachDB) can set this to route exits through their own fatal
+	// logging infrastructure for better crash visibility.
+	ExitFunc func(code int)
+
 	// MaxManifestFileSize is the maximum size the MANIFEST file is allowed to
 	// become. When the MANIFEST exceeds this size it is rolled over and a new
 	// MANIFEST is created.
@@ -1675,6 +1682,10 @@ func (o *Options) EnsureDefaults() {
 	if o.Logger == nil {
 		o.Logger = DefaultLogger
 	}
+	if o.ExitFunc == nil {
+		o.ExitFunc = os.Exit
+	}
+	base.Exit = o.ExitFunc
 	if o.EventListener == nil {
 		o.EventListener = &EventListener{}
 	}
diff --git a/sstable/colblk/keyspan.go b/sstable/colblk/keyspan.go
index 53d3aa3b982..18fbf054ad3 100644
--- a/sstable/colblk/keyspan.go
+++ b/sstable/colblk/keyspan.go
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ var keyspanIterPool = sync.Pool{
 			invariants.SetFinalizer(i, func(obj interface{}) {
 				if i := obj.(*KeyspanIter); i.handle.Valid() {
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "KeyspanIter.handle is not nil: %#v\n", i.handle)
-					os.Exit(1)
+					base.Exit(1)
 				}
 			})
 		}
diff --git a/sstable/reader_iter.go b/sstable/reader_iter.go
index 488dd1f36ca..5e8d3d07066 100644
--- a/sstable/reader_iter.go
+++ b/sstable/reader_iter.go
@@ -204,11 +204,11 @@ func checkSingleLevelIterator[I any, PI indexBlockIterator[I], D any, PD dataBlo
 	i := obj.(*singleLevelIterator[I, PI, D, PD])
 	if h := PD(&i.data).Handle(); h.Valid() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "singleLevelIterator.data.handle is not nil: %#v\n", h)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		base.Exit(1)
 	}
 	if h := PI(&i.index).Handle(); h.Valid() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "singleLevelIterator.index.handle is not nil: %#v\n", h)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		base.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -218,10 +218,10 @@ func checkTwoLevelIterator[I any, PI indexBlockIterator[I], D any, PD dataBlockI
 	i := obj.(*twoLevelIterator[I, PI, D, PD])
 	if h := PD(&i.secondLevel.data).Handle(); h.Valid() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "singleLevelIterator.data.handle is not nil: %#v\n", h)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		base.Exit(1)
 	}
 	if h := PI(&i.secondLevel.index).Handle(); h.Valid() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "singleLevelIterator.index.handle is not nil: %#v\n", h)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		base.Exit(1)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sstable/rowblk/rowblk_fragment_iter.go b/sstable/rowblk/rowblk_fragment_iter.go
index eb3984ed7fb..2f9b81fc08a 100644
--- a/sstable/rowblk/rowblk_fragment_iter.go
+++ b/sstable/rowblk/rowblk_fragment_iter.go
@@ -422,6 +422,6 @@ func checkFragmentBlockIterator(obj interface{}) {
 	i := obj.(*fragmentIter)
 	if h := i.blockIter.Handle(); h.Valid() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "fragmentBlockIter.blockIter.handle is not nil: %#v\n", h)
-		os.Exit(1)
+		base.Exit(1)
 	}
 }