diff --git a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
index 28ab126f70..c5b0750fd0 100644
--- a/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
+++ b/accel/kvm/kvm-all.c
@@ -2182,9 +2182,11 @@ static int kvm_init(MachineState *ms)
      * encryption context.
      */
     if (ms->cgs) {
+        Error *local_err = NULL;
         /* FIXME handle mechanisms other than SEV */
-        ret = sev_kvm_init(ms->cgs);
+        ret = sev_kvm_init(ms->cgs, &local_err);
         if (ret < 0) {
+            error_report_err(local_err);
             goto err;
         }
     }
diff --git a/accel/kvm/sev-stub.c b/accel/kvm/sev-stub.c
index 3d4787ae4a..512e205f7f 100644
--- a/accel/kvm/sev-stub.c
+++ b/accel/kvm/sev-stub.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 #include "qemu-common.h"
 #include "sysemu/sev.h"
 
-int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs)
+int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs, Error **errp)
 {
     /* SEV can't be selected if it's not compiled */
     g_assert_not_reached();
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sev.h b/include/sysemu/sev.h
index 3b5b1aacf1..5c5a13c6ca 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sev.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sev.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 #include "sysemu/kvm.h"
 
-int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs);
+int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs, Error **errp);
 int sev_encrypt_flash(uint8_t *ptr, uint64_t len, Error **errp);
 int sev_inject_launch_secret(const char *hdr, const char *secret,
                              uint64_t gpa, Error **errp);
diff --git a/target/i386/sev.c b/target/i386/sev.c
index 5399a136ad..e2b41ef342 100644
--- a/target/i386/sev.c
+++ b/target/i386/sev.c
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ sev_vm_state_change(void *opaque, int running, RunState state)
     }
 }
 
-int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs)
+int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs, Error **errp)
 {
     SevGuestState *sev = SEV_GUEST(cgs);
     char *devname;
@@ -684,14 +684,14 @@ int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs)
     host_cbitpos = ebx & 0x3f;
 
     if (host_cbitpos != sev->cbitpos) {
-        error_report("%s: cbitpos check failed, host '%d' requested '%d'",
-                     __func__, host_cbitpos, sev->cbitpos);
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: cbitpos check failed, host '%d' requested '%d'",
+                   __func__, host_cbitpos, sev->cbitpos);
         goto err;
     }
 
     if (sev->reduced_phys_bits < 1) {
-        error_report("%s: reduced_phys_bits check failed, it should be >=1,"
-                     " requested '%d'", __func__, sev->reduced_phys_bits);
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: reduced_phys_bits check failed, it should be >=1,"
+                   " requested '%d'", __func__, sev->reduced_phys_bits);
         goto err;
     }
 
@@ -700,20 +700,19 @@ int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs)
     devname = object_property_get_str(OBJECT(sev), "sev-device", NULL);
     sev->sev_fd = open(devname, O_RDWR);
     if (sev->sev_fd < 0) {
-        error_report("%s: Failed to open %s '%s'", __func__,
-                     devname, strerror(errno));
-    }
-    g_free(devname);
-    if (sev->sev_fd < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: Failed to open %s '%s'", __func__,
+                   devname, strerror(errno));
+        g_free(devname);
         goto err;
     }
+    g_free(devname);
 
     ret = sev_platform_ioctl(sev->sev_fd, SEV_PLATFORM_STATUS, &status,
                              &fw_error);
     if (ret) {
-        error_report("%s: failed to get platform status ret=%d "
-                     "fw_error='%d: %s'", __func__, ret, fw_error,
-                     fw_error_to_str(fw_error));
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: failed to get platform status ret=%d "
+                   "fw_error='%d: %s'", __func__, ret, fw_error,
+                   fw_error_to_str(fw_error));
         goto err;
     }
     sev->build_id = status.build;
@@ -723,14 +722,14 @@ int sev_kvm_init(ConfidentialGuestSupport *cgs)
     trace_kvm_sev_init();
     ret = sev_ioctl(sev->sev_fd, KVM_SEV_INIT, NULL, &fw_error);
     if (ret) {
-        error_report("%s: failed to initialize ret=%d fw_error=%d '%s'",
-                     __func__, ret, fw_error, fw_error_to_str(fw_error));
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: failed to initialize ret=%d fw_error=%d '%s'",
+                   __func__, ret, fw_error, fw_error_to_str(fw_error));
         goto err;
     }
 
     ret = sev_launch_start(sev);
     if (ret) {
-        error_report("%s: failed to create encryption context", __func__);
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: failed to create encryption context", __func__);
         goto err;
     }
 
