diff --git a/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c b/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c
index 64dd392..ea9972d 100644
--- a/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qmp-input-visitor.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ static QmpInputVisitor *to_qiv(Visitor *v)
 
 static QObject *qmp_input_get_object(QmpInputVisitor *qiv,
                                      const char *name,
-                                     bool consume)
+                                     bool consume, Error **errp)
 {
     StackObject *tos;
     QObject *qobj;
@@ -64,30 +64,34 @@ static QObject *qmp_input_get_object(QmpInputVisitor *qiv,
 
     if (QSLIST_EMPTY(&qiv->stack)) {
         /* Starting at root, name is ignored. */
-        return qiv->root;
-    }
-
-    /* We are in a container; find the next element. */
-    tos = QSLIST_FIRST(&qiv->stack);
-    qobj = tos->obj;
-    assert(qobj);
-
-    if (qobject_type(qobj) == QTYPE_QDICT) {
-        assert(name);
-        ret = qdict_get(qobject_to_qdict(qobj), name);
-        if (tos->h && consume && ret) {
-            bool removed = g_hash_table_remove(tos->h, name);
-            assert(removed);
-        }
+        ret = qiv->root;
     } else {
-        assert(qobject_type(qobj) == QTYPE_QLIST);
-        assert(!name);
-        ret = qlist_entry_obj(tos->entry);
-        if (consume) {
-            tos->entry = qlist_next(tos->entry);
+        /* We are in a container; find the next element. */
+        tos = QSLIST_FIRST(&qiv->stack);
+        qobj = tos->obj;
+        assert(qobj);
+
+        if (qobject_type(qobj) == QTYPE_QDICT) {
+            assert(name);
+            ret = qdict_get(qobject_to_qdict(qobj), name);
+            if (tos->h && consume && ret) {
+                bool removed = g_hash_table_remove(tos->h, name);
+                assert(removed);
+            }
+        } else {
+            assert(qobject_type(qobj) == QTYPE_QLIST);
+            assert(!name);
+            ret = qlist_entry_obj(tos->entry);
+            if (consume) {
+                tos->entry = qlist_next(tos->entry);
+            }
         }
     }
 
+    if (!ret) {
+        error_setg(errp, QERR_MISSING_PARAMETER, name ? name : "null");
+    }
+
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -163,13 +167,16 @@ static void qmp_input_start_struct(Visitor *v, const char *name, void **obj,
                                    size_t size, Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true);
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
     Error *err = NULL;
 
     if (obj) {
         *obj = NULL;
     }
-    if (!qobj || qobject_type(qobj) != QTYPE_QDICT) {
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (qobject_type(qobj) != QTYPE_QDICT) {
         error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_TYPE, name ? name : "null",
                    "QDict");
         return;
@@ -191,10 +198,13 @@ static void qmp_input_start_list(Visitor *v, const char *name,
                                  GenericList **list, size_t size, Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true);
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
     const QListEntry *entry;
 
-    if (!qobj || qobject_type(qobj) != QTYPE_QLIST) {
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
+    if (qobject_type(qobj) != QTYPE_QLIST) {
         if (list) {
             *list = NULL;
         }
@@ -232,11 +242,12 @@ static void qmp_input_start_alternate(Visitor *v, const char *name,
                                       bool promote_int, Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, false);
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, false, errp);
 
-    if (!qobj) {
+    if (obj) {
         *obj = NULL;
-        error_setg(errp, QERR_MISSING_PARAMETER, name ? name : "null");
+    }
+    if (!qobj) {
         return;
     }
     *obj = g_malloc0(size);
@@ -250,8 +261,12 @@ static void qmp_input_type_int64(Visitor *v, const char *name, int64_t *obj,
                                  Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QInt *qint = qobject_to_qint(qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true));
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
+    QInt *qint = qobject_to_qint(qobj);
 
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (!qint) {
         error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_TYPE, name ? name : "null",
                    "integer");
@@ -266,8 +281,12 @@ static void qmp_input_type_uint64(Visitor *v, const char *name, uint64_t *obj,
 {
     /* FIXME: qobject_to_qint mishandles values over INT64_MAX */
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QInt *qint = qobject_to_qint(qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true));
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
+    QInt *qint = qobject_to_qint(qobj);
 
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (!qint) {
         error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_TYPE, name ? name : "null",
                    "integer");
@@ -281,8 +300,12 @@ static void qmp_input_type_bool(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *obj,
                                 Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QBool *qbool = qobject_to_qbool(qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true));
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
+    QBool *qbool = qobject_to_qbool(qobj);
 
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (!qbool) {
         error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_TYPE, name ? name : "null",
                    "boolean");
@@ -296,8 +319,12 @@ static void qmp_input_type_str(Visitor *v, const char *name, char **obj,
                                Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QString *qstr = qobject_to_qstring(qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true));
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
+    QString *qstr = qobject_to_qstring(qobj);
 
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (!qstr) {
         *obj = NULL;
         error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_TYPE, name ? name : "null",
@@ -312,10 +339,13 @@ static void qmp_input_type_number(Visitor *v, const char *name, double *obj,
                                   Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true);
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
     QInt *qint;
     QFloat *qfloat;
 
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
     qint = qobject_to_qint(qobj);
     if (qint) {
         *obj = qint_get_int(qobject_to_qint(qobj));
@@ -336,7 +366,11 @@ static void qmp_input_type_any(Visitor *v, const char *name, QObject **obj,
                                Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true);
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
+
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
 
     qobject_incref(qobj);
     *obj = qobj;
@@ -345,8 +379,11 @@ static void qmp_input_type_any(Visitor *v, const char *name, QObject **obj,
 static void qmp_input_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true);
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, true, errp);
 
+    if (!qobj) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (qobject_type(qobj) != QTYPE_QNULL) {
         error_setg(errp, QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_TYPE, name ? name : "null",
                    "null");
@@ -356,7 +393,7 @@ static void qmp_input_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp)
 static void qmp_input_optional(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *present)
 {
     QmpInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, false);
+    QObject *qobj = qmp_input_get_object(qiv, name, false, NULL);
 
     if (!qobj) {
         *present = false;
