diff --git a/migration-exec.c b/migration-exec.c
index 6c97db9..f3baf85 100644
--- a/migration-exec.c
+++ b/migration-exec.c
@@ -60,19 +60,17 @@ static int exec_close(MigrationState *s)
     return ret;
 }
 
-int exec_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *command)
+void exec_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *command, Error **errp)
 {
     FILE *f;
 
     f = popen(command, "w");
     if (f == NULL) {
-        DPRINTF("Unable to popen exec target\n");
         goto err_after_popen;
     }
 
     s->fd = fileno(f);
     if (s->fd == -1) {
-        DPRINTF("Unable to retrieve file descriptor for popen'd handle\n");
         goto err_after_open;
     }
 
@@ -85,12 +83,12 @@ int exec_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *command)
     s->write = file_write;
 
     migrate_fd_connect(s);
-    return 0;
+    return;
 
 err_after_open:
     pclose(f);
 err_after_popen:
-    return -1;
+    error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "failed to popen the migration target");
 }
 
 static void exec_accept_incoming_migration(void *opaque)
diff --git a/migration-fd.c b/migration-fd.c
index 7335167..938a109 100644
--- a/migration-fd.c
+++ b/migration-fd.c
@@ -73,12 +73,11 @@ static int fd_close(MigrationState *s)
     return 0;
 }
 
-int fd_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *fdname)
+void fd_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *fdname, Error **errp)
 {
-    s->fd = monitor_get_fd(cur_mon, fdname, NULL);
+    s->fd = monitor_get_fd(cur_mon, fdname, errp);
     if (s->fd == -1) {
-        DPRINTF("fd_migration: invalid file descriptor identifier\n");
-        goto err_after_get_fd;
+        return;
     }
 
     if (fcntl(s->fd, F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK) == -1) {
@@ -91,12 +90,10 @@ int fd_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *fdname)
     s->close = fd_close;
 
     migrate_fd_connect(s);
-    return 0;
+    return;
 
 err_after_open:
     close(s->fd);
-err_after_get_fd:
-    return -1;
 }
 
 static void fd_accept_incoming_migration(void *opaque)
diff --git a/migration-tcp.c b/migration-tcp.c
index e8bc76a..5e54e68 100644
--- a/migration-tcp.c
+++ b/migration-tcp.c
@@ -68,22 +68,13 @@ static void tcp_wait_for_connect(int fd, void *opaque)
     }
 }
 
-int tcp_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *host_port,
-                                 Error **errp)
+void tcp_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *host_port, Error **errp)
 {
-    Error *local_err = NULL;
-
     s->get_error = socket_errno;
     s->write = socket_write;
     s->close = tcp_close;
 
-    s->fd = inet_nonblocking_connect(host_port, tcp_wait_for_connect, s, &local_err);
-    if (local_err != NULL) {
-        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
+    s->fd = inet_nonblocking_connect(host_port, tcp_wait_for_connect, s, errp);
 }
 
 static void tcp_accept_incoming_migration(void *opaque)
diff --git a/migration-unix.c b/migration-unix.c
index 5387c21..34a413a 100644
--- a/migration-unix.c
+++ b/migration-unix.c
@@ -68,20 +68,13 @@ static void unix_wait_for_connect(int fd, void *opaque)
     }
 }
 
-int unix_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *path, Error **errp)
+void unix_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *path, Error **errp)
 {
-    Error *local_err = NULL;
-
     s->get_error = unix_errno;
     s->write = unix_write;
     s->close = unix_close;
 
-    s->fd = unix_nonblocking_connect(path, unix_wait_for_connect, s, &local_err);
-    if (local_err != NULL) {
-        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
+    s->fd = unix_nonblocking_connect(path, unix_wait_for_connect, s, errp);
 }
 
 static void unix_accept_incoming_migration(void *opaque)
diff --git a/migration.c b/migration.c
index 767e297..f7f0138 100644
--- a/migration.c
+++ b/migration.c
@@ -485,7 +485,6 @@ void qmp_migrate(const char *uri, bool has_blk, bool blk,
     MigrationState *s = migrate_get_current();
     MigrationParams params;
     const char *p;
-    int ret;
 
     params.blk = blk;
     params.shared = inc;
@@ -507,27 +506,23 @@ void qmp_migrate(const char *uri, bool has_blk, bool blk,
     s = migrate_init(&params);
 
     if (strstart(uri, "tcp:", &p)) {
-        ret = tcp_start_outgoing_migration(s, p, &local_err);
+        tcp_start_outgoing_migration(s, p, &local_err);
 #if !defined(WIN32)
     } else if (strstart(uri, "exec:", &p)) {
-        ret = exec_start_outgoing_migration(s, p);
+        exec_start_outgoing_migration(s, p, &local_err);
     } else if (strstart(uri, "unix:", &p)) {
-        ret = unix_start_outgoing_migration(s, p, &local_err);
+        unix_start_outgoing_migration(s, p, &local_err);
     } else if (strstart(uri, "fd:", &p)) {
-        ret = fd_start_outgoing_migration(s, p);
+        fd_start_outgoing_migration(s, p, &local_err);
 #endif
     } else {
         error_set(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "uri", "a valid migration protocol");
         return;
     }
 
-    if (ret < 0 || local_err) {
+    if (local_err) {
         migrate_fd_error(s);
-        if (!local_err) {
-            error_set_errno(errp, -ret, QERR_UNDEFINED_ERROR);
-        } else {
-            error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        }
+        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/migration.h b/migration.h
index e0612a3..275d2d8 100644
--- a/migration.h
+++ b/migration.h
@@ -56,20 +56,19 @@ void do_info_migrate(Monitor *mon, QObject **ret_data);
 
 int exec_start_incoming_migration(const char *host_port);
 
-int exec_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *host_port);
+void exec_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *host_port, Error **errp);
 
 int tcp_start_incoming_migration(const char *host_port, Error **errp);
 
-int tcp_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *host_port,
-                                 Error **errp);
+void tcp_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *host_port, Error **errp);
 
 int unix_start_incoming_migration(const char *path, Error **errp);
 
-int unix_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *path, Error **errp);
+void unix_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *path, Error **errp);
 
 int fd_start_incoming_migration(const char *path);
 
-int fd_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *fdname);
+void fd_start_outgoing_migration(MigrationState *s, const char *fdname, Error **errp);
 
 void migrate_fd_error(MigrationState *s);