diff --git a/util/main-loop.c b/util/main-loop.c
index affe0403c5..443cb4cfe8 100644
--- a/util/main-loop.c
+++ b/util/main-loop.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ static void sigfd_handler(void *opaque)
     }
 }
 
-static int qemu_signal_init(void)
+static int qemu_signal_init(Error **errp)
 {
     int sigfd;
     sigset_t set;
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ static int qemu_signal_init(void)
     sigdelset(&set, SIG_IPI);
     sigfd = qemu_signalfd(&set);
     if (sigfd == -1) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "failed to create signalfd\n");
+        error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "failed to create signalfd");
         return -errno;
     }
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static int qemu_signal_init(void)
 
 #else /* _WIN32 */
 
-static int qemu_signal_init(void)
+static int qemu_signal_init(Error **errp)
 {
     return 0;
 }
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ int qemu_init_main_loop(Error **errp)
 
     init_clocks(qemu_timer_notify_cb);
 
-    ret = qemu_signal_init();
+    ret = qemu_signal_init(errp);
     if (ret) {
         return ret;
     }