diff --git a/hw/cxl/cxl-cdat.c b/hw/cxl/cxl-cdat.c
index e7bc138..959a555 100644
--- a/hw/cxl/cxl-cdat.c
+++ b/hw/cxl/cxl-cdat.c
@@ -189,14 +189,14 @@
     return true;
 }
 
-void cxl_doe_cdat_init(CXLComponentState *cxl_cstate, Error **errp)
+bool cxl_doe_cdat_init(CXLComponentState *cxl_cstate, Error **errp)
 {
     CDATObject *cdat = &cxl_cstate->cdat;
 
     if (cdat->filename) {
-        ct3_load_cdat(cdat, errp);
+        return ct3_load_cdat(cdat, errp);
     } else {
-        ct3_build_cdat(cdat, errp);
+        return ct3_build_cdat(cdat, errp);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/mem/cxl_type3.c b/hw/mem/cxl_type3.c
index b0a7e9f..3e42490 100644
--- a/hw/mem/cxl_type3.c
+++ b/hw/mem/cxl_type3.c
@@ -705,8 +705,7 @@
     cxl_cstate->cdat.build_cdat_table = ct3_build_cdat_table;
     cxl_cstate->cdat.free_cdat_table = ct3_free_cdat_table;
     cxl_cstate->cdat.private = ct3d;
-    cxl_doe_cdat_init(cxl_cstate, errp);
-    if (*errp) {
+    if (!cxl_doe_cdat_init(cxl_cstate, errp)) {
         goto err_free_special_ops;
     }
 
diff --git a/hw/pci-bridge/cxl_upstream.c b/hw/pci-bridge/cxl_upstream.c
index 783fa6a..e51221a 100644
--- a/hw/pci-bridge/cxl_upstream.c
+++ b/hw/pci-bridge/cxl_upstream.c
@@ -338,8 +338,7 @@
     cxl_cstate->cdat.build_cdat_table = build_cdat_table;
     cxl_cstate->cdat.free_cdat_table = free_default_cdat_table;
     cxl_cstate->cdat.private = d;
-    cxl_doe_cdat_init(cxl_cstate, errp);
-    if (*errp) {
+    if (!cxl_doe_cdat_init(cxl_cstate, errp)) {
         goto err_cap;
     }
 
diff --git a/include/hw/cxl/cxl_component.h b/include/hw/cxl/cxl_component.h
index 5012fab..945ee6f 100644
--- a/include/hw/cxl/cxl_component.h
+++ b/include/hw/cxl/cxl_component.h
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@
 CXLComponentState *cxl_get_hb_cstate(PCIHostState *hb);
 bool cxl_get_hb_passthrough(PCIHostState *hb);
 
-void cxl_doe_cdat_init(CXLComponentState *cxl_cstate, Error **errp);
+bool cxl_doe_cdat_init(CXLComponentState *cxl_cstate, Error **errp);
 void cxl_doe_cdat_release(CXLComponentState *cxl_cstate);
 void cxl_doe_cdat_update(CXLComponentState *cxl_cstate, Error **errp);