diff --git a/src/conf/node_device_conf.h b/src/conf/node_device_conf.h
index 975abb3345c6442a08b91f3fcb1f97e3f1140365..e90bdc5003eb8832c7af5f7c47e558b07cd0984e 100644
--- a/src/conf/node_device_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/node_device_conf.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * node_device_conf.h: config handling for node devices
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2010 Red Hat, Inc.
+ * Copyright (C) 2010-2011 Red Hat, Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2008 Virtual Iron Software, Inc.
  * Copyright (C) 2008 David F. Lively
  *
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ virNodeDeviceObjPtr virNodeDeviceFindByName(const virNodeDeviceObjListPtr devs,
                                             const char *name);
 virNodeDeviceObjPtr
 virNodeDeviceFindBySysfsPath(const virNodeDeviceObjListPtr devs,
-                             const char *sysfs_path);
+                             const char *sysfs_path)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
 
 virNodeDeviceObjPtr virNodeDeviceAssignDef(virNodeDeviceObjListPtr devs,
                                            const virNodeDeviceDefPtr def);
diff --git a/src/node_device/node_device_udev.c b/src/node_device/node_device_udev.c
index 3b987e8f0b7cbb607d8f184a24b9b6a2f7463055..293851208e8cffb5aeb8bd11e7750246e4d72cf5 100644
--- a/src/node_device/node_device_udev.c
+++ b/src/node_device/node_device_udev.c
@@ -1236,8 +1236,10 @@ static int udevSetParent(struct udev_device *device,
 
         parent_sysfs_path = udev_device_get_syspath(parent_device);
         if (parent_sysfs_path == NULL) {
-            VIR_DEBUG("Could not get syspath for parent of '%s'",
-                      udev_device_get_syspath(parent_device));
+            virNodeDeviceReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                                     _("Could not get syspath for parent of '%s'"),
+                                     udev_device_get_syspath(parent_device));
+            goto out;
         }
 
         dev = virNodeDeviceFindBySysfsPath(&driverState->devs,