diff --git a/tools/libxl/libxl.c b/tools/libxl/libxl.c
index c2dcbcc..15299ea 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl.c
@@ -176,18 +176,24 @@ retry_transaction:
 int libxl_domain_build(struct libxl_ctx *ctx, libxl_domain_build_info *info, uint32_t domid, libxl_domain_build_state *state)
 {
     char **vments = NULL, **localents = NULL;
-    int i;
+    int i, ret;
+
+    ret = build_pre(ctx, domid, info, state);
+    if (ret) goto out;
 
-    build_pre(ctx, domid, info, state);
     if (info->hvm) {
-        build_hvm(ctx, domid, info, state);
+        ret = build_hvm(ctx, domid, info, state);
+        if (ret) goto out;
+
         vments = libxl_calloc(ctx, 5, sizeof(char *));
         vments[0] = "rtc/timeoffset";
         vments[1] = (info->u.hvm.timeoffset) ? info->u.hvm.timeoffset : "";
         vments[2] = "image/ostype";
         vments[3] = "hvm";
     } else {
-        build_pv(ctx, domid, info, state);
+        ret = build_pv(ctx, domid, info, state);
+        if (ret) goto out;
+
         vments = libxl_calloc(ctx, 9, sizeof(char *));
         i = 0;
         vments[i++] = "image/ostype";
@@ -203,8 +209,9 @@ int libxl_domain_build(struct libxl_ctx *ctx, libxl_domain_build_info *info, uin
             vments[i++] = (char*) info->u.pv.cmdline;
         }
     }
-    build_post(ctx, domid, info, state, vments, localents);
-    return 0;
+    ret = build_post(ctx, domid, info, state, vments, localents);
+out:
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int libxl_domain_restore(struct libxl_ctx *ctx, libxl_domain_build_info *info,
@@ -212,10 +219,14 @@ int libxl_domain_restore(struct libxl_ctx *ctx, libxl_domain_build_info *info,
                          libxl_device_model_info *dm_info)
 {
     char **vments = NULL, **localents = NULL;
-    int i;
+    int i, ret;
+
+    ret = build_pre(ctx, domid, info, state);
+    if (ret) goto out;
+
+    ret = restore_common(ctx, domid, info, state, fd);
+    if (ret) goto out;
 
-    build_pre(ctx, domid, info, state);
-    restore_common(ctx, domid, info, state, fd);
     if (info->hvm) {
         vments = libxl_calloc(ctx, 5, sizeof(char *));
         vments[0] = "rtc/timeoffset";
@@ -238,13 +249,15 @@ int libxl_domain_restore(struct libxl_ctx *ctx, libxl_domain_build_info *info,
             vments[i++] = (char*) info->u.pv.cmdline;
         }
     }
-    build_post(ctx, domid, info, state, vments, localents);
+    ret = build_post(ctx, domid, info, state, vments, localents);
+    if (ret) goto out;
+
     if (info->hvm)
         asprintf(&(dm_info->saved_state), "/var/lib/xen/qemu-save.%d", domid);
     else
         dm_info->saved_state = NULL;
-
-    return 0;
+out:
+    return ret;
 }
 
 int libxl_domain_resume(struct libxl_ctx *ctx, uint32_t domid)
diff --git a/tools/libxl/xl.c b/tools/libxl/xl.c
index 996965b..851519f 100644
--- a/tools/libxl/xl.c
+++ b/tools/libxl/xl.c
@@ -750,6 +750,7 @@ static void create_domain(int debug, int daemonize, const char *config_file, con
     int num_disks = 0, num_vifs = 0, num_pcidevs = 0, num_vfbs = 0, num_vkbs = 0;
     int i, fd;
     int need_daemon = 1;
+    int ret;
     libxl_device_model_starting *dm_starting = 0;
     libxl_waiter *w1 = NULL, *w2 = NULL;
     memset(&dm_info, 0x00, sizeof(dm_info));
@@ -768,29 +769,47 @@ start:
     }
 
     libxl_ctx_set_log(&ctx, log_callback, NULL);
-    libxl_domain_make(&ctx, &info1, &domid);
+
+    ret = libxl_domain_make(&ctx, &info1, &domid);
+    if (ret) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "cannot make domain: %d\n", ret);
+        return;
+    }
 
     if (!restore_file || !need_daemon) {
         if (dm_info.saved_state) {
             free(dm_info.saved_state);
             dm_info.saved_state = NULL;
         }
-        libxl_domain_build(&ctx, &info2, domid, &state);
+        ret = libxl_domain_build(&ctx, &info2, domid, &state);
     } else {
         int restore_fd;
 
         restore_fd = open(restore_file, O_RDONLY);
-        libxl_domain_restore(&ctx, &info2, domid, restore_fd, &state, &dm_info);
+        ret = libxl_domain_restore(&ctx, &info2, domid, restore_fd, &state, &dm_info);
         close(restore_fd);
     }
 
+    if (ret) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "cannot (re-)build domain: %d\n", ret);
+        return;
+    }
+
     for (i = 0; i < num_disks; i++) {
         disks[i].domid = domid;
-        libxl_device_disk_add(&ctx, domid, &disks[i]);
+        ret = libxl_device_disk_add(&ctx, domid, &disks[i]);
+        if (ret) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "cannot add disk %d to domain: %d\n", i, ret);
+            return;
+        }
     }
     for (i = 0; i < num_vifs; i++) {
         vifs[i].domid = domid;
-        libxl_device_nic_add(&ctx, domid, &vifs[i]);
+        ret = libxl_device_nic_add(&ctx, domid, &vifs[i]);
+        if (ret) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "cannot add nic %d to domain: %d\n", i, ret);
+            return;
+        }
     }
     if (info1.hvm) {
         dm_info.domid = domid;