diff --git a/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.c b/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.c
index 956e097eaf4..fc6931f227e 100644
--- a/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.c
+++ b/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.c
@@ -1585,13 +1585,14 @@ static int mds_ctx_destructor_cb(struct mds_ctx *mds_ctx)
  * This ends up being called for every tcon, because the client does a
  * RPC bind for every tcon, so this is acually a per tcon context.
  **/
-struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
-			     struct tevent_context *ev,
-			     struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
-			     struct auth_session_info *session_info,
-			     int snum,
-			     const char *sharename,
-			     const char *path)
+NTSTATUS mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
+		      struct tevent_context *ev,
+		      struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
+		      struct auth_session_info *session_info,
+		      int snum,
+		      const char *sharename,
+		      const char *path,
+		      struct mds_ctx **_mds_ctx)
 {
 	const struct loadparm_substitution *lp_sub =
 		loadparm_s3_global_substitution();
@@ -1605,13 +1606,13 @@ struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 
 	mds_ctx = talloc_zero(mem_ctx, struct mds_ctx);
 	if (mds_ctx == NULL) {
-		return NULL;
+		return NT_STATUS_NO_MEMORY;
 	}
 	talloc_set_destructor(mds_ctx, mds_ctx_destructor_cb);
 
 	mds_ctx->mdssvc_ctx = mdssvc_init(ev);
 	if (mds_ctx->mdssvc_ctx == NULL) {
-		goto error;
+		return NT_STATUS_NO_MEMORY;
 	}
 
 	backend = lp_spotlight_backend(snum);
@@ -1637,6 +1638,7 @@ struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	default:
 		DBG_ERR("Unknown backend %d\n", backend);
 		TALLOC_FREE(mdssvc_ctx);
+		status = NT_STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR;
 		goto error;
 	}
 
@@ -1645,6 +1647,7 @@ struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 						   "UTF8-NFC",
 						   false);
 	if (iconv_hnd == (smb_iconv_t)-1) {
+		status = NT_STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR;
 		goto error;
 	}
 	mds_ctx->ic_nfc_to_nfd = iconv_hnd;
@@ -1654,17 +1657,20 @@ struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 						   "UTF8-NFD",
 						   false);
 	if (iconv_hnd == (smb_iconv_t)-1) {
+		status = NT_STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR;
 		goto error;
 	}
 	mds_ctx->ic_nfd_to_nfc = iconv_hnd;
 
 	mds_ctx->sharename = talloc_strdup(mds_ctx, sharename);
 	if (mds_ctx->sharename == NULL) {
+		status = NT_STATUS_NO_MEMORY;
 		goto error;
 	}
 
 	mds_ctx->spath = talloc_strdup(mds_ctx, path);
 	if (mds_ctx->spath == NULL) {
+		status = NT_STATUS_NO_MEMORY;
 		goto error;
 	}
 
@@ -1672,6 +1678,7 @@ struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	mds_ctx->pipe_session_info = session_info;
 
 	if (session_info->security_token->num_sids < 1) {
+		status = NT_STATUS_BAD_LOGON_SESSION_STATE;
 		goto error;
 	}
 	sid_copy(&mds_ctx->sid, &session_info->security_token->sids[0]);
@@ -1680,6 +1687,7 @@ struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	mds_ctx->ino_path_map = db_open_rbt(mds_ctx);
 	if (mds_ctx->ino_path_map == NULL) {
 		DEBUG(1,("open inode map db failed\n"));
+		status = NT_STATUS_INTERNAL_ERROR;
 		goto error;
 	}
 
@@ -1704,16 +1712,19 @@ struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	if (ret != 0) {
 		DBG_ERR("vfs_ChDir [%s] failed: %s\n",
 			conn_basedir.base_name, strerror(errno));
+		status = map_nt_error_from_unix(errno);
 		goto error;
 	}
 
 	ok = mds_ctx->backend->connect(mds_ctx);
 	if (!ok) {
 		DBG_ERR("backend connect failed\n");
+		status = NT_STATUS_CONNECTION_RESET;
 		goto error;
 	}
 
-	return mds_ctx;
+	*_mds_ctx = mds_ctx;
+	return NT_STATUS_OK;
 
 error:
 	if (mds_ctx->ic_nfc_to_nfd != NULL) {
@@ -1724,7 +1735,7 @@ error:
 	}
 
 	TALLOC_FREE(mds_ctx);
-	return NULL;
+	return status;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.h b/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.h
index 392482767dd..205417c4be1 100644
--- a/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.h
+++ b/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/mdssvc.h
@@ -149,13 +149,14 @@ struct mdssvc_backend {
  */
 extern bool mds_init(struct messaging_context *msg_ctx);
 extern bool mds_shutdown(void);
-struct mds_ctx *mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
-			     struct tevent_context *ev,
-			     struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
-			     struct auth_session_info *session_info,
-			     int snum,
-			     const char *sharename,
-			     const char *path);
+NTSTATUS mds_init_ctx(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
+		      struct tevent_context *ev,
+		      struct messaging_context *msg_ctx,
+		      struct auth_session_info *session_info,
+		      int snum,
+		      const char *sharename,
+		      const char *path,
+		      struct mds_ctx **_mds_ctx);
 extern bool mds_dispatch(struct mds_ctx *query_ctx,
 			 struct mdssvc_blob *request_blob,
 			 struct mdssvc_blob *response_blob);
diff --git a/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/srv_mdssvc_nt.c b/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/srv_mdssvc_nt.c
index 01c191bf01d..2d572a887d0 100644
--- a/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/srv_mdssvc_nt.c
+++ b/source3/rpc_server/mdssvc/srv_mdssvc_nt.c
@@ -48,19 +48,22 @@ static NTSTATUS create_mdssvc_policy_handle(TALLOC_CTX *mem_ctx,
 	struct auth_session_info *session_info =
 		dcesrv_call_session_info(dce_call);
 	struct mds_ctx *mds_ctx;
+	NTSTATUS status;
 
 	ZERO_STRUCTP(handle);
 
-	mds_ctx = mds_init_ctx(mem_ctx,
-			       messaging_tevent_context(p->msg_ctx),
-			       p->msg_ctx,
-			       session_info,
-			       snum,
-			       sharename,
-			       path);
-	if (mds_ctx == NULL) {
-		DEBUG(1, ("error in mds_init_ctx for: %s\n", path));
-		return NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL;
+	status = mds_init_ctx(mem_ctx,
+			      messaging_tevent_context(p->msg_ctx),
+			      p->msg_ctx,
+			      session_info,
+			      snum,
+			      sharename,
+			      path,
+			      &mds_ctx);
+	if (!NT_STATUS_IS_OK(status)) {
+		DBG_WARNING("mds_init_ctx() path [%s] failed: %s\n",
+			    path, nt_errstr(status));
+		return status;
 	}
 
 	if (!create_policy_hnd(p, handle, 0, mds_ctx)) {