diff --git a/nbd.c b/nbd.c
index bb71f00..ae4279a 100644
--- a/nbd.c
+++ b/nbd.c
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ int tcp_socket_incoming_spec(const char *address_and_port)
 {
     char *ostr  = NULL;
     int olen = 0;
-    return inet_listen(address_and_port, ostr, olen, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    return inet_listen(address_and_port, ostr, olen, SOCK_STREAM, 0, NULL);
 }
 
 int unix_socket_incoming(const char *path)
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index aeee2e8..54196eb 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -2442,7 +2442,7 @@ static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts)
         }
     } else {
         if (is_listen) {
-            fd = inet_listen_opts(opts, 0);
+            fd = inet_listen_opts(opts, 0, NULL);
         } else {
             fd = inet_connect_opts(opts, NULL);
         }
diff --git a/qemu-sockets.c b/qemu-sockets.c
index a761ef6..d6e798b 100644
--- a/qemu-sockets.c
+++ b/qemu-sockets.c
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ const char *inet_strfamily(int family)
     return "unknown";
 }
 
-int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset)
+int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset, Error **errp)
 {
     struct addrinfo ai,*res,*e;
     const char *addr;
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset)
     if ((qemu_opt_get(opts, "host") == NULL) ||
         (qemu_opt_get(opts, "port") == NULL)) {
         fprintf(stderr, "%s: host and/or port not specified\n", __FUNCTION__);
+        error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CREATE_FAILED);
         return -1;
     }
     pstrcpy(port, sizeof(port), qemu_opt_get(opts, "port"));
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset)
     if (rc != 0) {
         fprintf(stderr,"getaddrinfo(%s,%s): %s\n", addr, port,
                 gai_strerror(rc));
+        error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CREATE_FAILED);
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -150,6 +152,9 @@ int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset)
         if (slisten < 0) {
             fprintf(stderr,"%s: socket(%s): %s\n", __FUNCTION__,
                     inet_strfamily(e->ai_family), strerror(errno));
+            if (!e->ai_next) {
+                error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CREATE_FAILED);
+            }
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -173,6 +178,9 @@ int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset)
                 fprintf(stderr,"%s: bind(%s,%s,%d): %s\n", __FUNCTION__,
                         inet_strfamily(e->ai_family), uaddr, inet_getport(e),
                         strerror(errno));
+                if (!e->ai_next) {
+                    error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_BIND_FAILED);
+                }
             }
         }
         closesocket(slisten);
@@ -183,6 +191,7 @@ int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset)
 
 listen:
     if (listen(slisten,1) != 0) {
+        error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_LISTEN_FAILED);
         perror("listen");
         closesocket(slisten);
         freeaddrinfo(res);
@@ -447,7 +456,7 @@ static int inet_parse(QemuOpts *opts, const char *str)
 }
 
 int inet_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen,
-                int socktype, int port_offset)
+                int socktype, int port_offset, Error **errp)
 {
     QemuOpts *opts;
     char *optstr;
@@ -455,7 +464,7 @@ int inet_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen,
 
     opts = qemu_opts_create(&dummy_opts, NULL, 0);
     if (inet_parse(opts, str) == 0) {
-        sock = inet_listen_opts(opts, port_offset);
+        sock = inet_listen_opts(opts, port_offset, errp);
         if (sock != -1 && ostr) {
             optstr = strchr(str, ',');
             if (qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "ipv6", 0)) {
@@ -470,6 +479,8 @@ int inet_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen,
                          optstr ? optstr : "");
             }
         }
+    } else {
+        error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CREATE_FAILED);
     }
     qemu_opts_del(opts);
     return sock;
diff --git a/qemu_socket.h b/qemu_socket.h
index 26998ef..4689ff3 100644
--- a/qemu_socket.h
+++ b/qemu_socket.h
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ void socket_set_nonblock(int fd);
 int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1);
 
 /* New, ipv6-ready socket helper functions, see qemu-sockets.c */
-int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset);
+int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset, Error **errp);
 int inet_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen,
-                int socktype, int port_offset);
+                int socktype, int port_offset, Error **errp);
 int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
 int inet_connect(const char *str, bool block, Error **errp);
 int inet_dgram_opts(QemuOpts *opts);
diff --git a/ui/vnc.c b/ui/vnc.c
index 3ae7704..be384a5 100644
--- a/ui/vnc.c
+++ b/ui/vnc.c
@@ -3088,7 +3088,8 @@ int vnc_display_open(DisplayState *ds, const char *display)
             pstrcpy(dpy, 256, "unix:");
             vs->lsock = unix_listen(display+5, dpy+5, 256-5);
         } else {
-            vs->lsock = inet_listen(display, dpy, 256, SOCK_STREAM, 5900);
+            vs->lsock = inet_listen(display, dpy, 256,
+                                    SOCK_STREAM, 5900, NULL);
         }
         if (-1 == vs->lsock) {
             g_free(dpy);
