diff --git a/tools/virsh-host.c b/tools/virsh-host.c
index bcd44cefe1..881d4c762f 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-host.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-host.c
@@ -1242,7 +1242,6 @@ static bool
 cmdCPUBaseline(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     const char *from = NULL;
-    bool ret = false;
     g_autofree char *result = NULL;
     g_auto(GStrv) list = NULL;
     unsigned int flags = 0;
@@ -1259,16 +1258,12 @@ cmdCPUBaseline(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     if (!(list = vshExtractCPUDefXMLs(ctl, from)))
         return false;
 
-    result = virConnectBaselineCPU(priv->conn, (const char **)list,
-                                   g_strv_length(list),
-                                   flags);
+    if (!(result = virConnectBaselineCPU(priv->conn, (const char **)list,
+                                         g_strv_length(list), flags)))
+        return false;
 
-    if (result) {
-        vshPrint(ctl, "%s", result);
-        ret = true;
-    }
-
-    return ret;
+    vshPrint(ctl, "%s", result);
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/tools/virsh-interface.c b/tools/virsh-interface.c
index 46af45c97b..4bcc59b580 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-interface.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-interface.c
@@ -535,7 +535,6 @@ cmdInterfaceDefine(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virInterfacePtr iface;
     const char *from = NULL;
-    bool ret = true;
     g_autofree char *buffer = NULL;
     unsigned int flags = 0;
     virshControl *priv = ctl->privData;
@@ -549,17 +548,15 @@ cmdInterfaceDefine(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     if (virFileReadAll(from, VSH_MAX_XML_FILE, &buffer) < 0)
         return false;
 
-    iface = virInterfaceDefineXML(priv->conn, buffer, flags);
-
-    if (iface != NULL) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s defined from %s\n"),
-                      virInterfaceGetName(iface), from);
-        virInterfaceFree(iface);
-    } else {
+    if (!(iface = virInterfaceDefineXML(priv->conn, buffer, flags))) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to define interface from %s"), from);
-        ret = false;
+        return false;
     }
-    return ret;
+
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s defined from %s\n"),
+                  virInterfaceGetName(iface), from);
+    virInterfaceFree(iface);
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -584,21 +581,20 @@ static bool
 cmdInterfaceUndefine(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virInterfacePtr iface;
-    bool ret = true;
     const char *name;
 
     if (!(iface = virshCommandOptInterface(ctl, cmd, &name)))
         return false;
 
-    if (virInterfaceUndefine(iface) == 0) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s undefined\n"), name);
-    } else {
+    if (virInterfaceUndefine(iface) < 0) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to undefine interface %s"), name);
-        ret = false;
+        virInterfaceFree(iface);
+        return false;
     }
 
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s undefined\n"), name);
     virInterfaceFree(iface);
-    return ret;
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -623,21 +619,20 @@ static bool
 cmdInterfaceStart(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virInterfacePtr iface;
-    bool ret = true;
     const char *name;
 
     if (!(iface = virshCommandOptInterface(ctl, cmd, &name)))
         return false;
 
-    if (virInterfaceCreate(iface, 0) == 0) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s started\n"), name);
-    } else {
+    if (virInterfaceCreate(iface, 0) < 0) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to start interface %s"), name);
-        ret = false;
+        virInterfaceFree(iface);
+        return false;
     }
 
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s started\n"), name);
     virInterfaceFree(iface);
-    return ret;
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -662,21 +657,20 @@ static bool
 cmdInterfaceDestroy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virInterfacePtr iface;
-    bool ret = true;
     const char *name;
 
     if (!(iface = virshCommandOptInterface(ctl, cmd, &name)))
         return false;
 
-    if (virInterfaceDestroy(iface, 0) == 0) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s destroyed\n"), name);
-    } else {
+    if (virInterfaceDestroy(iface, 0) < 0) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to destroy interface %s"), name);
-        ret = false;
+        virInterfaceFree(iface);
+        return false;
     }
 
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Interface %s destroyed\n"), name);
     virInterfaceFree(iface);
-    return ret;
+    return false;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/tools/virsh-network.c b/tools/virsh-network.c
index 8651265909..198993ac33 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-network.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-network.c
@@ -209,7 +209,6 @@ cmdNetworkCreate(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virNetworkPtr network;
     const char *from = NULL;
-    bool ret = true;
     g_autofree char *buffer = NULL;
     unsigned int flags = 0;
     virshControl *priv = ctl->privData;
@@ -228,15 +227,15 @@ cmdNetworkCreate(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     else
         network = virNetworkCreateXML(priv->conn, buffer);
 
-    if (network != NULL) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Network %s created from %s\n"),
-                      virNetworkGetName(network), from);
-        virNetworkFree(network);
-    } else {
+    if (!network) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to create network from %s"), from);
-        ret = false;
+        return false;
     }
-    return ret;
+
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Network %s created from %s\n"),
+                  virNetworkGetName(network), from);
+    virNetworkFree(network);
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -267,7 +266,6 @@ cmdNetworkDefine(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virNetworkPtr network;
     const char *from = NULL;
-    bool ret = true;
     g_autofree char *buffer = NULL;
     unsigned int flags = 0;
     virshControl *priv = ctl->privData;
@@ -286,15 +284,15 @@ cmdNetworkDefine(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     else
         network = virNetworkDefineXML(priv->conn, buffer);
 
-    if (network != NULL) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Network %s defined from %s\n"),
-                      virNetworkGetName(network), from);
-        virNetworkFree(network);
-    } else {
+    if (!network) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to define network from %s"), from);
-        ret = false;
+        return false;
     }
-    return ret;
+
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Network %s defined from %s\n"),
+                  virNetworkGetName(network), from);
+    virNetworkFree(network);
+    return true;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/tools/virsh-nodedev.c b/tools/virsh-nodedev.c
index f1b4eb94bf..f72359121f 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-nodedev.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-nodedev.c
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ cmdNodeDeviceCreate(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virNodeDevicePtr dev = NULL;
     const char *from = NULL;
-    bool ret = true;
     g_autofree char *buffer = NULL;
     virshControl *priv = ctl->privData;
 
@@ -67,18 +66,15 @@ cmdNodeDeviceCreate(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     if (virFileReadAll(from, VSH_MAX_XML_FILE, &buffer) < 0)
         return false;
 
-    dev = virNodeDeviceCreateXML(priv->conn, buffer, 0);
-
-    if (dev != NULL) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Node device %s created from %s\n"),
-                      virNodeDeviceGetName(dev), from);
-        virNodeDeviceFree(dev);
-    } else {
+    if (!(dev = virNodeDeviceCreateXML(priv->conn, buffer, 0))) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to create node device from %s"), from);
-        ret = false;
+        return false;
     }
 
-    return ret;
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Node device %s created from %s\n"),
+                  virNodeDeviceGetName(dev), from);
+    virNodeDeviceFree(dev);
+    return true;
 }
 
 
@@ -1077,7 +1073,6 @@ cmdNodeDeviceDefine(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     virNodeDevice *dev = NULL;
     const char *from = NULL;
-    bool ret = true;
     g_autofree char *buffer = NULL;
     virshControl *priv = ctl->privData;
 
@@ -1087,18 +1082,15 @@ cmdNodeDeviceDefine(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd G_GNUC_UNUSED)
     if (virFileReadAll(from, VSH_MAX_XML_FILE, &buffer) < 0)
         return false;
 
-    dev = virNodeDeviceDefineXML(priv->conn, buffer, 0);
-
-    if (dev != NULL) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Node device '%s' defined from '%s'\n"),
-                      virNodeDeviceGetName(dev), from);
-        virNodeDeviceFree(dev);
-    } else {
+    if (!(dev = virNodeDeviceDefineXML(priv->conn, buffer, 0))) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to define node device from '%s'"), from);
-        ret = false;
+        return false;
     }
 
-    return ret;
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Node device '%s' defined from '%s'\n"),
+                  virNodeDeviceGetName(dev), from);
+    virNodeDeviceFree(dev);
+    return true;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c b/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c
index 77f211d031..33164f623f 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-nwfilter.c
@@ -515,7 +515,6 @@ cmdNWFilterBindingCreate(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 {
     virNWFilterBindingPtr binding;
     const char *from = NULL;
-    bool ret = true;
     char *buffer;
     unsigned int flags = 0;
     virshControl *priv = ctl->privData;
@@ -532,15 +531,15 @@ cmdNWFilterBindingCreate(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     binding = virNWFilterBindingCreateXML(priv->conn, buffer, flags);
     VIR_FREE(buffer);
 
-    if (binding != NULL) {
-        vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Network filter binding on %s created from %s\n"),
-                      virNWFilterBindingGetPortDev(binding), from);
-        virNWFilterBindingFree(binding);
-    } else {
+    if (!binding) {
         vshError(ctl, _("Failed to create network filter from %s"), from);
-        ret = false;
+        return false;
     }
-    return ret;
+
+    vshPrintExtra(ctl, _("Network filter binding on %s created from %s\n"),
+                  virNWFilterBindingGetPortDev(binding), from);
+    virNWFilterBindingFree(binding);
+    return true;
 }