diff --git a/fabrics.c b/fabrics.c
index 1e164228a9..86b0e15a10 100644
--- a/fabrics.c
+++ b/fabrics.c
@@ -178,13 +178,21 @@ static int nvme_add_ctrl(nvme_host_t h, nvme_ctrl_t c,
 	int ret;
 
 retry:
+	/*
+	 * __create_discover_ctrl and callers depend on errno being set
+	 * in the error case.
+	 */
+	errno = 0;
 	ret = nvmf_add_ctrl(h, c, cfg);
-	if (ret == EAGAIN || (ret == EINTR && !nvme_sigint_received)) {
-		printf("nvmf_add_ctrl returned '%s'\n", strerror(ret));
+	if (!ret)
+		return 0;
+
+	if (errno == EAGAIN || (errno == EINTR && !nvme_sigint_received)) {
+		print_debug("nvmf_add_ctrl returned '%s'\n", strerror(errno));
 		goto retry;
 	}
 
-	return ret;
+	return -errno;
 }
 
 static nvme_ctrl_t __create_discover_ctrl(nvme_root_t r, nvme_host_t h,
@@ -205,9 +213,7 @@ static nvme_ctrl_t __create_discover_ctrl(nvme_root_t r, nvme_host_t h,
 		     strcmp(trcfg->subsysnqn, NVME_DISC_SUBSYS_NAME));
 	tmo = set_discovery_kato(cfg);
 
-	errno = 0;
 	ret = nvme_add_ctrl(h, c, cfg);
-
 	cfg->keep_alive_tmo = tmo;
 	if (ret) {
 		nvme_free_ctrl(c);
@@ -1079,10 +1085,8 @@ int nvmf_connect(const char *desc, int argc, char **argv)
 		return -errno;
 
 	h = nvme_lookup_host(r, hnqn, hid);
-	if (!h) {
-		errno = ENOMEM;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
+	if (!h)
+		return -ENOMEM;
 	if (hostkey)
 		nvme_host_set_dhchap_key(h, hostkey);
 	if (!trsvcid)
@@ -1103,37 +1107,33 @@ int nvmf_connect(const char *desc, int argc, char **argv)
 	c = lookup_ctrl(h, &trcfg);
 	if (c && nvme_ctrl_get_name(c) && !cfg.duplicate_connect) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "already connected\n");
-		errno = EALREADY;
-		goto out_free;
+		return -EALREADY;
 	}
 
 	c = nvme_create_ctrl(r, subsysnqn, transport, traddr,
 			     cfg.host_traddr, cfg.host_iface, trsvcid);
-	if (!c) {
-		errno = ENOMEM;
-		goto out_free;
-	}
+	if (!c)
+		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	if (ctrlkey)
 		nvme_ctrl_set_dhchap_key(c, ctrlkey);
 
 	nvme_parse_tls_args(keyring, tls_key, tls_key_identity, &cfg, c);
 
-	errno = 0;
 	ret = nvme_add_ctrl(h, c, &cfg);
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "could not add new controller: %s\n",
-			nvme_strerror(errno));
-	else {
-		errno = 0;
-		if (flags != -EINVAL)
-			nvme_show_connect_msg(c, flags);
+			nvme_strerror(-ret));
+		return ret;
 	}
 
-out_free:
+	/* always print connected device */
+	nvme_show_connect_msg(c, flags);
+
 	if (dump_config)
 		nvme_dump_config(r);
-	return -errno;
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static nvme_ctrl_t lookup_nvme_ctrl(nvme_root_t r, const char *name)
diff --git a/util/logging.c b/util/logging.c
index e05483916a..8b40c14fce 100644
--- a/util/logging.c
+++ b/util/logging.c
@@ -116,8 +116,9 @@ int nvme_submit_passthru(int fd, unsigned long ioctl_cmd,
 	if (!dry_run) {
 retry:
 		err = ioctl(fd, ioctl_cmd, cmd);
-		if (err == EAGAIN || (err == EINTR && !nvme_sigint_received)) {
-			nvme_log_retry(err);
+		if (err && (errno == EAGAIN ||
+			    (errno == EINTR && !nvme_sigint_received))) {
+			nvme_log_retry(errno);
 			goto retry;
 		}
 	}
@@ -148,8 +149,9 @@ int nvme_submit_passthru64(int fd, unsigned long ioctl_cmd,
 	if (!dry_run) {
 retry:
 		err = ioctl(fd, ioctl_cmd, cmd);
-		if (err == EAGAIN || (err == EINTR && !nvme_sigint_received)) {
-			nvme_log_retry(err);
+		if (err && (errno == EAGAIN ||
+			    (errno == EINTR && !nvme_sigint_received))) {
+			nvme_log_retry(errno);
 			goto retry;
 		}
 	}