diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 3bb8897..d9ccf45 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ void qemu_remove_exit_notifier(Notifier *notify);
 void qemu_add_machine_init_done_notifier(Notifier *notify);
 
 void hmp_savevm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
-int load_vmstate(const char *name);
+int load_vmstate(const char *name, Error **errp);
 void hmp_delvm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 void hmp_info_snapshots(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index 1262b57..3de917e 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -2019,7 +2019,7 @@ void qmp_xen_save_devices_state(const char *filename, Error **errp)
     }
 }
 
-int load_vmstate(const char *name)
+int load_vmstate(const char *name, Error **errp)
 {
     BlockDriverState *bs, *bs_vm_state;
     QEMUSnapshotInfo sn;
@@ -2028,20 +2028,22 @@ int load_vmstate(const char *name)
     AioContext *aio_context;
 
     if (!bdrv_all_can_snapshot(&bs)) {
-        error_report("Device '%s' is writable but does not support snapshots.",
-                     bdrv_get_device_name(bs));
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Device '%s' is writable but does not support snapshots",
+                   bdrv_get_device_name(bs));
         return -ENOTSUP;
     }
     ret = bdrv_all_find_snapshot(name, &bs);
     if (ret < 0) {
-        error_report("Device '%s' does not have the requested snapshot '%s'",
-                     bdrv_get_device_name(bs), name);
+        error_setg(errp,
+                   "Device '%s' does not have the requested snapshot '%s'",
+                   bdrv_get_device_name(bs), name);
         return ret;
     }
 
     bs_vm_state = bdrv_all_find_vmstate_bs();
     if (!bs_vm_state) {
-        error_report("No block device supports snapshots");
+        error_setg(errp, "No block device supports snapshots");
         return -ENOTSUP;
     }
     aio_context = bdrv_get_aio_context(bs_vm_state);
@@ -2051,10 +2053,11 @@ int load_vmstate(const char *name)
     ret = bdrv_snapshot_find(bs_vm_state, &sn, name);
     aio_context_release(aio_context);
     if (ret < 0) {
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Snapshot '%s' not found", name);
         return ret;
     } else if (sn.vm_state_size == 0) {
-        error_report("This is a disk-only snapshot. Revert to it offline "
-            "using qemu-img.");
+        error_setg(errp, "Snapshot '%s' is a disk-only snapshot and must be "
+                   "reverted offline using qemu-img", name);
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
@@ -2063,15 +2066,16 @@ int load_vmstate(const char *name)
 
     ret = bdrv_all_goto_snapshot(name, &bs);
     if (ret < 0) {
-        error_report("Error %d while activating snapshot '%s' on '%s'",
-                     ret, name, bdrv_get_device_name(bs));
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret,
+                         "Error while activating snapshot '%s' on '%s'",
+                         name, bdrv_get_device_name(bs));
         return ret;
     }
 
     /* restore the VM state */
     f = qemu_fopen_bdrv(bs_vm_state, 0);
     if (!f) {
-        error_report("Could not open VM state file");
+        error_setg(errp, "Could not open VM state file");
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
@@ -2085,7 +2089,7 @@ int load_vmstate(const char *name)
 
     migration_incoming_state_destroy();
     if (ret < 0) {
-        error_report("Error %d while loading VM state", ret);
+        error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Error while loading VM state");
         return ret;
     }
 
diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index e7e7ae2..2ddf6c1 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -1739,10 +1739,13 @@ static void hmp_loadvm(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
 {
     int saved_vm_running  = runstate_is_running();
     const char *name = qdict_get_str(qdict, "name");
+    Error *local_err = NULL;
 
     vm_stop(RUN_STATE_RESTORE_VM);
 
-    if (load_vmstate(name) == 0 && saved_vm_running) {
+    if (load_vmstate(name, &local_err) < 0) {
+        error_report_err(local_err);
+    } else if (saved_vm_running) {
         vm_start();
     }
 }
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 5aaea77..0172e42 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -4648,8 +4648,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     qemu_system_reset(VMRESET_SILENT);
     register_global_state();
     if (loadvm) {
-        if (load_vmstate(loadvm) < 0) {
+        Error *local_err = NULL;
+        if (load_vmstate(loadvm, &local_err) < 0) {
             autostart = 0;
+            error_report_err(local_err);
         }
     }
 
