diff --git a/hw/arm/vexpress.c b/hw/arm/vexpress.c
index 5933454cfd..8496c1622a 100644
--- a/hw/arm/vexpress.c
+++ b/hw/arm/vexpress.c
@@ -515,9 +515,9 @@ static pflash_t *ve_pflash_cfi01_register(hwaddr base, const char *name,
 {
     DeviceState *dev = qdev_create(NULL, "cfi.pflash01");
 
-    if (di && qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive",
-                                  blk_by_legacy_dinfo(di))) {
-        abort();
+    if (di) {
+        qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk_by_legacy_dinfo(di),
+                            &error_abort);
     }
 
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "num-blocks",
diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index 69f51ac0da..93b7605722 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -522,9 +522,9 @@ static void create_one_flash(const char *name, hwaddr flashbase,
     DeviceState *dev = qdev_create(NULL, "cfi.pflash01");
     const uint64_t sectorlength = 256 * 1024;
 
-    if (dinfo && qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive",
-                                     blk_by_legacy_dinfo(dinfo))) {
-        abort();
+    if (dinfo) {
+        qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk_by_legacy_dinfo(dinfo),
+                            &error_abort);
     }
 
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "num-blocks", flashsize / sectorlength);
diff --git a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
index 89d380e59d..d282695086 100644
--- a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
+++ b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
@@ -969,8 +969,8 @@ pflash_t *pflash_cfi01_register(hwaddr base,
 {
     DeviceState *dev = qdev_create(NULL, TYPE_CFI_PFLASH01);
 
-    if (blk && qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk)) {
-        abort();
+    if (blk) {
+        qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk, &error_abort);
     }
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "num-blocks", nb_blocs);
     qdev_prop_set_uint64(dev, "sector-length", sector_len);
diff --git a/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c b/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c
index 389b4aa1f4..074a005f69 100644
--- a/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c
+++ b/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c
@@ -773,8 +773,8 @@ pflash_t *pflash_cfi02_register(hwaddr base,
 {
     DeviceState *dev = qdev_create(NULL, TYPE_CFI_PFLASH02);
 
-    if (blk && qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk)) {
-        abort();
+    if (blk) {
+        qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk, &error_abort);
     }
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "num-blocks", nb_blocs);
     qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "sector-length", sector_len);
diff --git a/hw/core/qdev-properties-system.c b/hw/core/qdev-properties-system.c
index a2e44bd4e8..c413226a97 100644
--- a/hw/core/qdev-properties-system.c
+++ b/hw/core/qdev-properties-system.c
@@ -341,27 +341,25 @@ PropertyInfo qdev_prop_vlan = {
     .set   = set_vlan,
 };
 
-int qdev_prop_set_drive(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
-                        BlockBackend *value)
+void qdev_prop_set_drive(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
+                         BlockBackend *value, Error **errp)
 {
-    Error *err = NULL;
-    object_property_set_str(OBJECT(dev),
-                            value ? blk_name(value) : "", name, &err);
-    if (err) {
-        qerror_report_err(err);
-        error_free(err);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    return 0;
+    object_property_set_str(OBJECT(dev), value ? blk_name(value) : "",
+                            name, errp);
 }
 
 void qdev_prop_set_drive_nofail(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
                                 BlockBackend *value)
 {
-    if (qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, name, value) < 0) {
+    Error *err = NULL;
+
+    qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, name, value, &err);
+    if (err) {
+        error_report_err(err);
         exit(1);
     }
 }
+
 void qdev_prop_set_chr(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
                        CharDriverState *value)
 {
diff --git a/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c b/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c
index f8de56996a..61c595fbfa 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/scsi-bus.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "sysemu/blockdev.h"
 #include "trace.h"
 #include "sysemu/dma.h"
+#include "qapi/qmp/qerror.h"
 
 static char *scsibus_get_dev_path(DeviceState *dev);
 static char *scsibus_get_fw_dev_path(DeviceState *dev);
@@ -242,7 +243,10 @@ SCSIDevice *scsi_bus_legacy_add_drive(SCSIBus *bus, BlockBackend *blk,
     if (serial && object_property_find(OBJECT(dev), "serial", NULL)) {
         qdev_prop_set_string(dev, "serial", serial);
     }
-    if (qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk) < 0) {
+    qdev_prop_set_drive(dev, "drive", blk, &err);
+    if (err) {
+        qerror_report_err(err);
+        error_free(err);
         error_setg(errp, "Setting drive property failed");
         object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
         return NULL;
diff --git a/hw/usb/dev-storage.c b/hw/usb/dev-storage.c
index 65d9aa6147..3f5b32d666 100644
--- a/hw/usb/dev-storage.c
+++ b/hw/usb/dev-storage.c
@@ -663,6 +663,7 @@ static void usb_msd_realize_bot(USBDevice *dev, Error **errp)
 static USBDevice *usb_msd_init(USBBus *bus, const char *filename)
 {
     static int nr=0;
+    Error *err = NULL;
     char id[8];
     QemuOpts *opts;
     DriveInfo *dinfo;
@@ -706,8 +707,10 @@ static USBDevice *usb_msd_init(USBBus *bus, const char *filename)
 
     /* create guest device */
     dev = usb_create(bus, "usb-storage");
-    if (qdev_prop_set_drive(&dev->qdev, "drive",
-                            blk_by_legacy_dinfo(dinfo)) < 0) {
+    qdev_prop_set_drive(&dev->qdev, "drive", blk_by_legacy_dinfo(dinfo),
+                        &err);
+    if (err) {
+        error_report_err(err);
         object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/include/hw/qdev-properties.h b/include/hw/qdev-properties.h
index 57ee363b89..2d47c0c640 100644
--- a/include/hw/qdev-properties.h
+++ b/include/hw/qdev-properties.h
@@ -168,8 +168,8 @@ void qdev_prop_set_uint64(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, uint64_t value);
 void qdev_prop_set_string(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, const char *value);
 void qdev_prop_set_chr(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, CharDriverState *value);
 void qdev_prop_set_netdev(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, NetClientState *value);
-int qdev_prop_set_drive(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
-                        BlockBackend *value) QEMU_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+void qdev_prop_set_drive(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
+                         BlockBackend *value, Error **errp);
 void qdev_prop_set_drive_nofail(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
                                 BlockBackend *value);
 void qdev_prop_set_macaddr(DeviceState *dev, const char *name, uint8_t *value);