diff --git a/hw/pci-hotplug.c b/hw/pci-hotplug.c
index c38a1273944c8620443d651d83a6741ce3220d01..ccd2cf3cac7dea8e4f97b241e9429beec9942682 100644
--- a/hw/pci-hotplug.c
+++ b/hw/pci-hotplug.c
@@ -172,8 +172,8 @@ static PCIDevice *qemu_pci_hot_add_storage(Monitor *mon,
     default:
         dev = NULL;
     }
-    if (dev)
-        qdev_init(&dev->qdev);
+    if (!dev || qdev_init(&dev->qdev) < 0)
+        return NULL;
     return dev;
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/pci.c b/hw/pci.c
index 1debdab4b4daaeb6ac104c121e817a30fb563ded..da5cc5625603b81e62ebf986fada5e0aa4fab546 100644
--- a/hw/pci.c
+++ b/hw/pci.c
@@ -833,6 +833,7 @@ static const char * const pci_nic_names[] = {
 };
 
 /* Initialize a PCI NIC.  */
+/* FIXME callers should check for failure, but don't */
 PCIDevice *pci_nic_init(NICInfo *nd, const char *default_model,
                         const char *default_devaddr)
 {
diff --git a/hw/scsi-bus.c b/hw/scsi-bus.c
index fe8991e9cea175b768e0bb21acace9ba2a9b28ca..41992e52dfcbd5cf2a62d4cc3e22adab22b3919e 100644
--- a/hw/scsi-bus.c
+++ b/hw/scsi-bus.c
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ void scsi_qdev_register(SCSIDeviceInfo *info)
 }
 
 /* handle legacy '-drive if=scsi,...' cmd line args */
+/* FIXME callers should check for failure, but don't */
 SCSIDevice *scsi_bus_legacy_add_drive(SCSIBus *bus, DriveInfo *dinfo, int unit)
 {
     const char *driver;
@@ -91,7 +92,8 @@ SCSIDevice *scsi_bus_legacy_add_drive(SCSIBus *bus, DriveInfo *dinfo, int unit)
     dev = qdev_create(&bus->qbus, driver);
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "scsi-id", unit);
     qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", dinfo);
-    qdev_init(dev);
+    if (qdev_init(dev) < 0)
+        return NULL;
     return DO_UPCAST(SCSIDevice, qdev, dev);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/usb-msd.c b/hw/usb-msd.c
index e090014f74f0221fad3d4f3cb5389961ce39c73f..dd3010e0068a761ebdebc957c95b3f42bd87eff6 100644
--- a/hw/usb-msd.c
+++ b/hw/usb-msd.c
@@ -571,7 +571,8 @@ USBDevice *usb_msd_init(const char *filename)
     /* create guest device */
     dev = usb_create(NULL /* FIXME */, "QEMU USB MSD");
     qdev_prop_set_drive(&dev->qdev, "drive", dinfo);
-    qdev_init(&dev->qdev);
+    if (qdev_init(&dev->qdev) < 0)
+        return NULL;
 
     return dev;
 }
diff --git a/usb-linux.c b/usb-linux.c
index 77cbf1ba6ccee3a9fa3d6ebfefcea839a137cf20..9e5d9c40efa60d39ae1913a45eee19d5f94917d8 100644
--- a/usb-linux.c
+++ b/usb-linux.c
@@ -980,12 +980,14 @@ static USBDevice *usb_host_device_open_addr(int bus_num, int addr, const char *p
 
     hostdev_link(dev);
 
-    qdev_init(&d->qdev);
+    if (qdev_init(&d->qdev) < 0)
+        goto fail_no_qdev;
     return (USBDevice *) dev;
 
 fail:
     if (d)
         qdev_free(&d->qdev);
+fail_no_qdev:
     if (fd != -1)
         close(fd);
     return NULL;
@@ -1389,7 +1391,7 @@ static int usb_host_auto_scan(void *opaque, int bus_num, int addr,
 
         /* We got a match */
 
-        /* Allredy attached ? */
+        /* Already attached ? */
         if (hostdev_find(bus_num, addr))
             return 0;