diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.c b/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.c
index b3d14c6..3c09750 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.c
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
     return true;
 }
 
-static void s390_ccw_realize(S390CCWDevice *cdev, char *sysfsdev, Error **errp)
+static bool s390_ccw_realize(S390CCWDevice *cdev, char *sysfsdev, Error **errp)
 {
     CcwDevice *ccw_dev = CCW_DEVICE(cdev);
     CCWDeviceClass *ck = CCW_DEVICE_GET_CLASS(ccw_dev);
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@
     int ret;
 
     if (!s390_ccw_get_dev_info(cdev, sysfsdev, errp)) {
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     sch = css_create_sch(ccw_dev->devno, errp);
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@
 
     css_generate_sch_crws(sch->cssid, sch->ssid, sch->schid,
                           parent->hotplugged, 1);
-    return;
+    return true;
 
 out_err:
     css_subch_assign(sch->cssid, sch->ssid, sch->schid, sch->devno, NULL);
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@
     g_free(sch);
 out_mdevid_free:
     g_free(cdev->mdevid);
+    return false;
 }
 
 static void s390_ccw_unrealize(S390CCWDevice *cdev)
diff --git a/hw/vfio/ccw.c b/hw/vfio/ccw.c
index 2600e62..9a8e052 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/ccw.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/ccw.c
@@ -582,8 +582,7 @@
 
     /* Call the class init function for subchannel. */
     if (cdc->realize) {
-        cdc->realize(cdev, vcdev->vdev.sysfsdev, &err);
-        if (err) {
+        if (!cdc->realize(cdev, vcdev->vdev.sysfsdev, &err)) {
             goto out_err_propagate;
         }
     }
diff --git a/include/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.h b/include/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.h
index 2c807ee..2e0a709 100644
--- a/include/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.h
+++ b/include/hw/s390x/s390-ccw.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 struct S390CCWDeviceClass {
     CCWDeviceClass parent_class;
-    void (*realize)(S390CCWDevice *dev, char *sysfsdev, Error **errp);
+    bool (*realize)(S390CCWDevice *dev, char *sysfsdev, Error **errp);
     void (*unrealize)(S390CCWDevice *dev);
     IOInstEnding (*handle_request) (SubchDev *sch);
     int (*handle_halt) (SubchDev *sch);