diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-table.c b/drivers/md/dm-table.c
index 3e407a9cde1f190baade6d22e78c30ae5b27b438..c4b53b332607bec3f303671da385656713498e04 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-table.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-table.c
@@ -695,37 +695,32 @@ int dm_table_add_target(struct dm_table *t, const char *type,
 
 	tgt->type = dm_get_target_type(type);
 	if (!tgt->type) {
-		DMERR("%s: %s: unknown target type", dm_device_name(t->md),
-		      type);
+		DMERR("%s: %s: unknown target type", dm_device_name(t->md), type);
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
 	if (dm_target_needs_singleton(tgt->type)) {
 		if (t->num_targets) {
-			DMERR("%s: target type %s must appear alone in table",
-			      dm_device_name(t->md), type);
-			return -EINVAL;
+			tgt->error = "singleton target type must appear alone in table";
+			goto bad;
 		}
 		t->singleton = true;
 	}
 
 	if (dm_target_always_writeable(tgt->type) && !(t->mode & FMODE_WRITE)) {
-		DMERR("%s: target type %s may not be included in read-only tables",
-		      dm_device_name(t->md), type);
-		return -EINVAL;
+		tgt->error = "target type may not be included in a read-only table";
+		goto bad;
 	}
 
 	if (t->immutable_target_type) {
 		if (t->immutable_target_type != tgt->type) {
-			DMERR("%s: immutable target type %s cannot be mixed with other target types",
-			      dm_device_name(t->md), t->immutable_target_type->name);
-			return -EINVAL;
+			tgt->error = "immutable target type cannot be mixed with other target types";
+			goto bad;
 		}
 	} else if (dm_target_is_immutable(tgt->type)) {
 		if (t->num_targets) {
-			DMERR("%s: immutable target type %s cannot be mixed with other target types",
-			      dm_device_name(t->md), tgt->type->name);
-			return -EINVAL;
+			tgt->error = "immutable target type cannot be mixed with other target types";
+			goto bad;
 		}
 		t->immutable_target_type = tgt->type;
 	}
@@ -740,7 +735,6 @@ int dm_table_add_target(struct dm_table *t, const char *type,
 	 */
 	if (!adjoin(t, tgt)) {
 		tgt->error = "Gap in table";
-		r = -EINVAL;
 		goto bad;
 	}