diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index f4a7dd0..29a50d1 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
   - enhanced "simple" output format by colors and links 
   - new xcube rule "increasing-time"
   - new xcube rule "data-var-colors"
+  - new `RuleExit` exception to exit rule logic and 
+    stop further node traversal
 
 - Version 0.0.2 (06.01.2025) 
   - more rules
diff --git a/docs/todo.md b/docs/todo.md
index 8a0979d..83cad0e 100644
--- a/docs/todo.md
+++ b/docs/todo.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Required
 
-- populate `core` plugin by more rules
+- populate `core` plugin by more rules, see CF site and `cf-check` tool
 - populate `xcube` plugin by more rules
 - add `docs`
   - use mkdocstrings ref syntax in docstrings
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 ## Desired
  
+- project logo
 - use `RuleMeta.docs_url` in formatters to create links
 - implement xarray backend for xcube 'levels' format
   so can validate them too
@@ -22,10 +23,6 @@
 - support rule op args/kwargs schema validation
 - support CLI option `--print-config FILE`, see ESLint
 - Support `RuleTest.expected`, it is currently unused
-- Allow `RuleOp` methods to return `True` to finish
-  node validation with the current rule on current dataset.
-  In this case the linter interrupts traversing the 
-  dataset node tree.
 
 ## Nice to have
 
diff --git a/tests/_linter/test_rule_ctx_impl.py b/tests/_linter/test_rulectx.py
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/_linter/test_rule_ctx_impl.py
rename to tests/_linter/test_rulectx.py
diff --git a/tests/test_all.py b/tests/test_all.py
index c0c6031..2ddc267 100644
--- a/tests/test_all.py
+++ b/tests/test_all.py
@@ -1,53 +1,17 @@
 from unittest import TestCase
 
-expected_api = [
-    "AttrNode",
-    "AttrsNode",
-    "CliEngine",
-    "Config",
-    "ConfigList",
-    "DataArrayNode",
-    "DatasetNode",
-    "EditInfo",
-    "Formatter",
-    "FormatterContext",
-    "FormatterMeta",
-    "FormatterOp",
-    "FormatterRegistry",
-    "Linter",
-    "Message",
-    "Node",
-    "Plugin",
-    "PluginMeta",
-    "Processor",
-    "ProcessorMeta",
-    "ProcessorOp",
-    "Result",
-    "Rule",
-    "RuleConfig",
-    "RuleContext",
-    "RuleMeta",
-    "RuleOp",
-    "RuleTest",
-    "RuleTester",
-    "Suggestion",
-    "get_rules_meta_for_results",
-    "new_linter",
-    "version",
-]
-
 
 class AllTest(TestCase):
     def test_api_is_complete(self):
         import xrlint.all as xrl
 
+        # noinspection PyProtectedMember
+        from xrlint.all import __all__
+
         # noinspection PyUnresolvedReferences
-        keys = sorted(
+        keys = set(
             k
             for k, v in xrl.__dict__.items()
             if isinstance(k, str) and not k.startswith("_")
         )
-        self.assertEqual(
-            expected_api,
-            keys,
-        )
+        self.assertEqual(set(__all__), keys)
diff --git a/tests/test_linter.py b/tests/test_linter.py
index aa5b24f..65e7e8a 100644
--- a/tests/test_linter.py
+++ b/tests/test_linter.py
@@ -7,17 +7,19 @@
 from xrlint.constants import CORE_PLUGIN_NAME
 from xrlint.linter import Linter
 from xrlint.linter import new_linter
-from xrlint.processor import ProcessorOp
-from xrlint.result import Message
-from xrlint.plugin import Plugin, PluginMeta
-from xrlint.result import Result
+from xrlint.plugin import Plugin
+from xrlint.plugin import PluginMeta
 from xrlint.node import (
     AttrsNode,
     AttrNode,
     DataArrayNode,
     DatasetNode,
 )
+from xrlint.processor import ProcessorOp
+from xrlint.result import Message
+from xrlint.result import Result
 from xrlint.rule import RuleContext
+from xrlint.rule import RuleExit
 from xrlint.rule import RuleOp
 
 
@@ -84,6 +86,7 @@ class DatasetVer(RuleOp):
             def dataset(self, ctx: RuleContext, node: DatasetNode):
                 if len(node.dataset.data_vars) == 0:
                     ctx.report("Dataset does not have data variables")
+                    raise RuleExit  # no need to traverse further
 
         @plugin.define_processor("multi-level-dataset")
         class MultiLevelDataset(ProcessorOp):
diff --git a/xrlint/_linter/apply.py b/xrlint/_linter/apply.py
index cf71cb5..4fa743c 100644
--- a/xrlint/_linter/apply.py
+++ b/xrlint/_linter/apply.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from xrlint.node import DataArrayNode
 from xrlint.node import DatasetNode
 from xrlint.rule import RuleConfig
+from xrlint.rule import RuleExit
 from xrlint.rule import RuleOp
 from .rulectx import RuleContextImpl
 
@@ -29,11 +30,15 @@ def apply_rule(
         # TODO: validate rule_config.args/kwargs against rule.meta.schema
         # noinspection PyArgumentList
         rule_op: RuleOp = rule.op_class(*rule_config.args, **rule_config.kwargs)
-        _visit_dataset_node(
-            rule_op,
-            context,
-            DatasetNode(parent=None, path="dataset", dataset=context.dataset),
-        )
+        try:
+            _visit_dataset_node(
+                rule_op,
+                context,
+                DatasetNode(parent=None, path="dataset", dataset=context.dataset),
+            )
+        except RuleExit:
+            # This is ok, the rule requested it.
+            pass
 
 
 def _visit_dataset_node(rule_op: RuleOp, context: RuleContextImpl, node: DatasetNode):
diff --git a/xrlint/all.py b/xrlint/all.py
index 9ed7290..2f29f03 100644
--- a/xrlint/all.py
+++ b/xrlint/all.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 from xrlint.rule import Rule
 from xrlint.rule import RuleConfig
 from xrlint.rule import RuleContext
+from xrlint.rule import RuleExit
 from xrlint.rule import RuleMeta
 from xrlint.rule import RuleOp
 from xrlint.testing import RuleTest
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@
     "Rule",
     "RuleConfig",
     "RuleContext",
+    "RuleExit",
     "RuleMeta",
     "RuleOp",
     "RuleTest",
diff --git a/xrlint/plugins/xcube/rules/increasing_time.py b/xrlint/plugins/xcube/rules/increasing_time.py
index 5d52fea..f2daea4 100644
--- a/xrlint/plugins/xcube/rules/increasing_time.py
+++ b/xrlint/plugins/xcube/rules/increasing_time.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from xrlint.node import DataArrayNode
 from xrlint.plugins.xcube.rules import plugin
 from xrlint.rule import RuleContext
+from xrlint.rule import RuleExit
 from xrlint.rule import RuleOp
 from xrlint.util.formatting import format_count
 from xrlint.util.formatting import format_seq
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ def data_array(self, ctx: RuleContext, node: DataArrayNode):
             if not np.count_nonzero(diff_array > 0) == diff_array.size:
                 check_indexes(ctx, diff_array == 0, "Duplicate")
                 check_indexes(ctx, diff_array < 0, "Backsliding")
-        return True  # No need to apply rule any further
+                raise RuleExit  # No need to apply rule any further
 
 
 def check_indexes(ctx, cond: np.ndarray, issue_name: str):
diff --git a/xrlint/rule.py b/xrlint/rule.py
index 4e346d4..675ded6 100644
--- a/xrlint/rule.py
+++ b/xrlint/rule.py
@@ -53,6 +53,21 @@ def report(
         """
 
 
+class RuleExit(Exception):
+    """The `RuleExit` is an exception that can be raised to
+    immediately cancel dataset node validation with the current rule.
+
+    Raise it from any of your `RuleOp` method implementations if further
+    node traversal doesn't make sense. Typical usage:
+
+    ```python
+    if something_is_not_ok:
+        ctx.report("Something is not ok.")
+        raise RuleExit
+    ```
+    """
+
+
 class RuleOp(ABC):
     """Define the specific rule verification operation."""
 
@@ -62,6 +77,8 @@ def dataset(self, context: RuleContext, node: DatasetNode) -> None:
         Args:
             context: The current rule context.
             node: The dataset node.
+        Raises:
+            RuleExit: to exit rule logic and further node traversal
         """
 
     def data_array(self, context: RuleContext, node: DataArrayNode) -> None:
@@ -70,6 +87,8 @@ def data_array(self, context: RuleContext, node: DataArrayNode) -> None:
         Args:
             context: The current rule context.
             node: The data array (variable) node.
+        Raises:
+            RuleExit: to exit rule logic and further node traversal
         """
 
     def attrs(self, context: RuleContext, node: AttrsNode) -> None:
@@ -78,6 +97,8 @@ def attrs(self, context: RuleContext, node: AttrsNode) -> None:
         Args:
             context: The current rule context.
             node: The attributes node.
+        Raises:
+            RuleExit: to exit rule logic and further node traversal
         """
 
     def attr(self, context: RuleContext, node: AttrNode) -> None:
@@ -86,6 +107,8 @@ def attr(self, context: RuleContext, node: AttrNode) -> None:
         Args:
             context: The current rule context.
             node: The attribute node.
+        Raises:
+            RuleExit: to exit rule logic and further node traversal
         """