diff --git a/hw/vhost.c b/hw/vhost.c
index fb9512104400ee5ef0eee3357fb9308ec851c040..8586f66baccb80dbc4f6153ac111e32e0f2f0de4 100644
--- a/hw/vhost.c
+++ b/hw/vhost.c
@@ -515,12 +515,14 @@ static int vhost_virtqueue_init(struct vhost_dev *dev,
     file.fd = event_notifier_get_fd(virtio_queue_get_host_notifier(vvq));
     r = ioctl(dev->control, VHOST_SET_VRING_KICK, &file);
     if (r) {
+        r = -errno;
         goto fail_kick;
     }
 
     file.fd = event_notifier_get_fd(virtio_queue_get_guest_notifier(vvq));
     r = ioctl(dev->control, VHOST_SET_VRING_CALL, &file);
     if (r) {
+        r = -errno;
         goto fail_call;
     }