diff --git a/nbd.c b/nbd.c
index b4e68a9..bb71f00 100644
--- a/nbd.c
+++ b/nbd.c
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ int tcp_socket_outgoing(const char *address, uint16_t port)
 
 int tcp_socket_outgoing_spec(const char *address_and_port)
 {
-    return inet_connect(address_and_port, true);
+    return inet_connect(address_and_port, true, NULL);
 }
 
 int tcp_socket_incoming(const char *address, uint16_t port)
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index 74c60e1..09f990a 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -2444,7 +2444,7 @@ static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts)
         if (is_listen) {
             fd = inet_listen_opts(opts, 0);
         } else {
-            fd = inet_connect_opts(opts);
+            fd = inet_connect_opts_err(opts, NULL);
         }
     }
     if (fd < 0) {
diff --git a/qemu-sockets.c b/qemu-sockets.c
index e886195..2bd87fa 100644
--- a/qemu-sockets.c
+++ b/qemu-sockets.c
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ listen:
     return slisten;
 }
 
-int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
+int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp)
 {
     struct addrinfo ai,*res,*e;
     const char *addr;
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
     block = qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "block", 0);
     if (addr == NULL || port == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "inet_connect: host and/or port not specified\n");
+        error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CREATE_FAILED);
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -229,6 +230,7 @@ int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
     if (0 != (rc = getaddrinfo(addr, port, &ai, &res))) {
         fprintf(stderr,"getaddrinfo(%s,%s): %s\n", addr, port,
                 gai_strerror(rc));
+        error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CREATE_FAILED);
 	return -1;
     }
 
@@ -254,6 +256,7 @@ int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
             err = 0;
             if (connect(sock, e->ai_addr, e->ai_addrlen) < 0) {
                 err = -socket_error();
+                error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CONNECT_FAILED);
             }
 #ifndef _WIN32
         } while (err == -EINTR || err == -EWOULDBLOCK);
@@ -264,9 +267,11 @@ int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts)
         if (err >= 0) {
             goto success;
         } else if (!block && err == -EINPROGRESS) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CONNECT_IN_PROGRESS);
             goto success;
 #ifdef _WIN32
         } else if (!block && err == -WSAEALREADY) {
+            error_set(errp, QERR_SOCKET_CONNECT_IN_PROGRESS);
             goto success;
 #endif
         }
@@ -477,7 +482,7 @@ int inet_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen,
     return sock;
 }
 
-int inet_connect(const char *str, bool block)
+int inet_connect(const char *str, bool block, Error **errp)
 {
     QemuOpts *opts;
     int sock = -1;
@@ -487,7 +492,9 @@ int inet_connect(const char *str, bool block)
         if (block) {
             qemu_opt_set(opts, "block", "on");
         }
-        sock = inet_connect_opts(opts);
+        sock = inet_connect_opts(opts, errp);
+    } 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 f73e26d..26998ef 100644
--- a/qemu_socket.h
+++ b/qemu_socket.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ int inet_aton(const char *cp, struct in_addr *ia);
 #endif /* !_WIN32 */
 
 #include "qemu-option.h"
+#include "error.h"
+#include "qerror.h"
 
 /* misc helpers */
 int qemu_socket(int domain, int type, int protocol);
@@ -40,8 +42,8 @@ int send_all(int fd, const void *buf, int len1);
 int inet_listen_opts(QemuOpts *opts, int port_offset);
 int inet_listen(const char *str, char *ostr, int olen,
                 int socktype, int port_offset);
-int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts);
-int inet_connect(const char *str, bool block);
+int inet_connect_opts(QemuOpts *opts, Error **errp);
+int inet_connect(const char *str, bool block, Error **errp);
 int inet_dgram_opts(QemuOpts *opts);
 const char *inet_strfamily(int family);
 
diff --git a/ui/vnc.c b/ui/vnc.c
index 4a96153..3ae7704 100644
--- a/ui/vnc.c
+++ b/ui/vnc.c
@@ -3068,7 +3068,7 @@ int vnc_display_open(DisplayState *ds, const char *display)
         if (strncmp(display, "unix:", 5) == 0)
             vs->lsock = unix_connect(display+5);
         else
-            vs->lsock = inet_connect(display, true);
+            vs->lsock = inet_connect(display, true, NULL);
         if (-1 == vs->lsock) {
             g_free(vs->display);
             vs->display = NULL;
