diff --git a/bsd-user/main.c b/bsd-user/main.c
index 08f43af235..0c8aa1ae90 100644
--- a/bsd-user/main.c
+++ b/bsd-user/main.c
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             qemu_print_log_usage(stdout);
             exit(1);
         }
-        qemu_set_log(mask);
+        qemu_set_log(mask, &error_fatal);
     }
 
     if (optind >= argc) {
diff --git a/include/qemu/log.h b/include/qemu/log.h
index fabfbe41da..0b892f5e90 100644
--- a/include/qemu/log.h
+++ b/include/qemu/log.h
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ typedef struct QEMULogItem {
 
 extern const QEMULogItem qemu_log_items[];
 
-void qemu_set_log(int log_flags);
+bool qemu_set_log(int log_flags, Error **errp);
 bool qemu_set_log_filename(const char *filename, Error **errp);
 void qemu_set_dfilter_ranges(const char *ranges, Error **errp);
 bool qemu_log_in_addr_range(uint64_t addr);
diff --git a/linux-user/main.c b/linux-user/main.c
index 2b06350688..6aed4929ab 100644
--- a/linux-user/main.c
+++ b/linux-user/main.c
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 
     log_mask = last_log_mask | (enable_strace ? LOG_STRACE : 0);
     if (log_mask) {
-        qemu_set_log(log_mask);
+        qemu_set_log(log_mask, &error_fatal);
     }
 
     if (!trace_init_backends()) {
diff --git a/monitor/misc.c b/monitor/misc.c
index 4b68fcd346..33372b93cc 100644
--- a/monitor/misc.c
+++ b/monitor/misc.c
@@ -428,6 +428,7 @@ static void hmp_log(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
 {
     int mask;
     const char *items = qdict_get_str(qdict, "items");
+    Error *err = NULL;
 
     if (!strcmp(items, "none")) {
         mask = 0;
@@ -438,7 +439,10 @@ static void hmp_log(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
             return;
         }
     }
-    qemu_set_log(mask);
+
+    if (!qemu_set_log(mask, &err)) {
+        error_report_err(err);
+    }
 }
 
 static void hmp_singlestep(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
diff --git a/qemu-img.c b/qemu-img.c
index 116e058675..ef3224a9d4 100644
--- a/qemu-img.c
+++ b/qemu-img.c
@@ -5443,7 +5443,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         exit(1);
     }
     trace_init_file();
-    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE);
+    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE, &error_fatal);
 
     /* find the command */
     for (cmd = img_cmds; cmd->name != NULL; cmd++) {
diff --git a/qemu-io.c b/qemu-io.c
index eb8afc8b41..38321a27a3 100644
--- a/qemu-io.c
+++ b/qemu-io.c
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         exit(1);
     }
     trace_init_file();
-    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE);
+    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE, &error_fatal);
 
     /* initialize commands */
     qemuio_add_command(&quit_cmd);
diff --git a/qemu-nbd.c b/qemu-nbd.c
index 713e7557a9..bf9c5fedce 100644
--- a/qemu-nbd.c
+++ b/qemu-nbd.c
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         exit(1);
     }
     trace_init_file();
-    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE);
+    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE, &error_fatal);
 
     socket_activation = check_socket_activation();
     if (socket_activation == 0) {
diff --git a/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c b/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c
index f281daeced..1f2a84c534 100644
--- a/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c
+++ b/scsi/qemu-pr-helper.c
@@ -1001,7 +1001,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
         exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
     }
     trace_init_file();
-    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE);
+    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE, &error_fatal);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MPATH
     dm_init();
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 46aba6a039..fe9de2f896 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -2570,9 +2570,9 @@ static void qemu_process_early_options(void)
             qemu_print_log_usage(stdout);
             exit(1);
         }
-        qemu_set_log(mask);
+        qemu_set_log(mask, &error_fatal);
     } else {
-        qemu_set_log(0);
+        qemu_set_log(0, &error_fatal);
     }
 
     qemu_add_default_firmwarepath();
diff --git a/storage-daemon/qemu-storage-daemon.c b/storage-daemon/qemu-storage-daemon.c
index eb72407257..1398f0443d 100644
--- a/storage-daemon/qemu-storage-daemon.c
+++ b/storage-daemon/qemu-storage-daemon.c
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     if (!trace_init_backends()) {
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
-    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE);
+    qemu_set_log(LOG_TRACE, &error_fatal);
 
     qemu_init_main_loop(&error_fatal);
     process_options(argc, argv, false);
diff --git a/tests/unit/test-logging.c b/tests/unit/test-logging.c
index 05703a4e51..d071400ebc 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-logging.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test-logging.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ static void test_logfile_write(gconstpointer data)
      * In cases where a logging backend other than log is used,
      * this is needed.
      */
-    qemu_set_log(CPU_LOG_TB_OUT_ASM);
+    qemu_set_log(CPU_LOG_TB_OUT_ASM, &error_abort);
     file_path = g_build_filename(dir, "qemu_test_log_write0.log", NULL);
     file_path1 = g_build_filename(dir, "qemu_test_log_write1.log", NULL);
 
diff --git a/util/log.c b/util/log.c
index a838686a18..bab4d29ecb 100644
--- a/util/log.c
+++ b/util/log.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static void qemu_logfile_free(QemuLogFile *logfile)
 }
 
 /* enable or disable low levels log */
-void qemu_set_log(int log_flags)
+bool qemu_set_log(int log_flags, Error **errp)
 {
     bool need_to_open_file = false;
     QemuLogFile *logfile;
@@ -103,9 +103,9 @@ void qemu_set_log(int log_flags)
         if (logfilename) {
             logfile->fd = fopen(logfilename, log_append ? "a" : "w");
             if (!logfile->fd) {
-                g_free(logfile);
-                perror(logfilename);
-                _exit(1);
+                error_setg_errno(errp, errno, "Error opening logfile %s",
+                                 logfilename);
+                return false;
             }
             /* In case we are a daemon redirect stderr to logfile */
             if (is_daemonized()) {
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ void qemu_set_log(int log_flags)
         log_append = 1;
         qatomic_rcu_set(&qemu_logfile, logfile);
     }
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -159,8 +160,7 @@ bool qemu_set_log_filename(const char *filename, Error **errp)
     }
 
     qemu_log_close();
-    qemu_set_log(qemu_loglevel);
-    return true;
+    return qemu_set_log(qemu_loglevel, errp);
 }
 
 /* Returns true if addr is in our debug filter or no filter defined