diff --git a/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_if.c b/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_if.c
index 350e8e1..8842d3c 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_if.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libctrl/control_if.c
@@ -642,23 +642,27 @@
 	ctrl->gsmnet = gsmnet;
 
 	ctrl_node_vec = vector_init(5);
-	if (!ctrl_node_vec) {
-		talloc_free(ctrl);
-		return NULL;
-	}
+	if (!ctrl_node_vec)
+		goto err;
 
 	/* Listen for control connections */
 	ret = make_sock(&ctrl->listen_fd, IPPROTO_TCP, INADDR_LOOPBACK, port,
 			0, listen_fd_cb, ctrl);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		talloc_free(ctrl);
-		vector_free(ctrl_node_vec);
-		ctrl_node_vec = NULL;
-		return NULL;
-	}
+	if (ret < 0)
+		goto err_vec;
 
-	ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_ROOT, &cmd_rate_ctr);
-	ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_ROOT, &cmd_counter);
+	ret = ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_ROOT, &cmd_rate_ctr);
+	if (ret)
+		goto err_vec;
+	ret = ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_ROOT, &cmd_counter);
+	if (ret)
+		goto err_vec;
 
 	return ctrl;
+err_vec:
+	vector_free(ctrl_node_vec);
+	ctrl_node_vec = NULL;
+err:
+	talloc_free(ctrl);
+	return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_ctrl.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_ctrl.c
index 1a24a24..6bab461 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_ctrl.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_ctrl.c
@@ -304,9 +304,17 @@
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void bsc_ctrl_cmds_install()
+int bsc_ctrl_cmds_install()
 {
-	ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_NET, &cmd_net_loc);
-	ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_NET, &cmd_net_rf_lock);
-	ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_TRX, &cmd_trx_rf_lock);
+	int rc;
+
+	rc = ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_NET, &cmd_net_loc);
+	if (rc)
+		goto end;
+	rc = ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_NET, &cmd_net_rf_lock);
+	if (rc)
+		goto end;
+	rc = ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_TRX, &cmd_trx_rf_lock);
+end:
+	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_main.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_main.c
index 0f70ceb..bba6bc0 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_main.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_main.c
@@ -213,8 +213,16 @@
 	bsc_api_init(bsc_gsmnet, osmo_bsc_api());
 
 	bsc_gsmnet->ctrl = controlif_setup(bsc_gsmnet, 4249);
+	if (!bsc_gsmnet) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to init the control interface. Exiting.\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
-	bsc_ctrl_cmds_install();
+	rc = bsc_ctrl_cmds_install();
+	if (rc < 0) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to install control commands. Exiting.\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
 	data = bsc_gsmnet->bsc_data;
 	if (rf_ctrl)
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c
index ca6d9ee..d99a8dd 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_nat/bsc_nat.c
@@ -1770,7 +1770,16 @@
 	}
 
 	nat->ctrl = controlif_setup(NULL, 4250);
-	ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_ROOT, &cmd_fwd_cmd);
+	if (!nat->ctrl) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to initialize the control interface. Exiting.\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	rc = ctrl_cmd_install(CTRL_NODE_ROOT, &cmd_fwd_cmd);
+	if (rc) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to install the control command. Exiting.\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
 
 	nat->msc_con->connection_loss = msc_connection_was_lost;
 	nat->msc_con->connected = msc_connection_connected;
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-nitb/bsc_hack.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-nitb/bsc_hack.c
index b528a66..7427ead 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-nitb/bsc_hack.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-nitb/bsc_hack.c
@@ -269,6 +269,11 @@
 	bsc_api_init(bsc_gsmnet, msc_bsc_api());
 
 	bsc_gsmnet->ctrl = controlif_setup(bsc_gsmnet, 4249);
+	if (!bsc_gsmnet->ctrl) {
+		printf("Failed to initialize control interface. Exiting.\n");
+		return -1;
+	}
+
 	/* seed the PRNG */
 	srand(time(NULL));