diff --git a/net/vde.c b/net/vde.c
index e50e5d6394..99189cccb6 100644
--- a/net/vde.c
+++ b/net/vde.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "qemu-common.h"
 #include "qemu/option.h"
 #include "qemu/main-loop.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
 
 typedef struct VDEState {
     NetClientState nc;
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ static NetClientInfo net_vde_info = {
 
 static int net_vde_init(NetClientState *peer, const char *model,
                         const char *name, const char *sock,
-                        int port, const char *group, int mode)
+                        int port, const char *group, int mode, Error **errp)
 {
     NetClientState *nc;
     VDEState *s;
@@ -92,6 +93,7 @@ static int net_vde_init(NetClientState *peer, const char *model,
 
     vde = vde_open(init_sock, (char *)"QEMU", &args);
     if (!vde){
+        error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "Could not open vde");
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -112,7 +114,6 @@ static int net_vde_init(NetClientState *peer, const char *model,
 int net_init_vde(const Netdev *netdev, const char *name,
                  NetClientState *peer, Error **errp)
 {
-    /* FIXME error_setg(errp, ...) on failure */
     const NetdevVdeOptions *vde;
 
     assert(netdev->type == NET_CLIENT_DRIVER_VDE);
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ int net_init_vde(const Netdev *netdev, const char *name,
 
     /* missing optional values have been initialized to "all bits zero" */
     if (net_vde_init(peer, "vde", name, vde->sock, vde->port, vde->group,
-                     vde->has_mode ? vde->mode : 0700) == -1) {
+                     vde->has_mode ? vde->mode : 0700, errp) == -1) {
         return -1;
     }