diff --git a/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.c b/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.c
index fe1d76dc76..5c83a1cc09 100644
--- a/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.c
+++ b/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ static void fsdev_throttle_write_timer_cb(void *opaque)
     qemu_co_enter_next(&fst->throttled_reqs[true], NULL);
 }
 
-void fsdev_throttle_parse_opts(QemuOpts *opts, FsThrottle *fst, Error **errp)
+int fsdev_throttle_parse_opts(QemuOpts *opts, FsThrottle *fst, Error **errp)
 {
     throttle_config_init(&fst->cfg);
     fst->cfg.buckets[THROTTLE_BPS_TOTAL].avg =
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void fsdev_throttle_parse_opts(QemuOpts *opts, FsThrottle *fst, Error **errp)
     fst->cfg.op_size =
         qemu_opt_get_number(opts, "throttling.iops-size", 0);
 
-    throttle_is_valid(&fst->cfg, errp);
+    return throttle_is_valid(&fst->cfg, errp) ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
 void fsdev_throttle_init(FsThrottle *fst)
diff --git a/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.h b/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.h
index c98e2feab5..a21aecddc7 100644
--- a/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.h
+++ b/fsdev/qemu-fsdev-throttle.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ typedef struct FsThrottle {
     CoQueue      throttled_reqs[2];
 } FsThrottle;
 
-void fsdev_throttle_parse_opts(QemuOpts *, FsThrottle *, Error **);
+int fsdev_throttle_parse_opts(QemuOpts *, FsThrottle *, Error **);
 
 void fsdev_throttle_init(FsThrottle *);
 
diff --git a/hw/9pfs/9p-local.c b/hw/9pfs/9p-local.c
index 6f7309f4e6..5c7f4cd9c7 100644
--- a/hw/9pfs/9p-local.c
+++ b/hw/9pfs/9p-local.c
@@ -1511,8 +1511,7 @@ static int local_parse_opts(QemuOpts *opts, FsDriverEntry *fse, Error **errp)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    fsdev_throttle_parse_opts(opts, &fse->fst, &local_err);
-    if (local_err) {
+    if (fsdev_throttle_parse_opts(opts, &fse->fst, &local_err)) {
         error_propagate_prepend(errp, local_err,
                                 "invalid throttle configuration: ");
         return -1;