diff --git a/stinit.8 b/stinit.8
index f918600..279e5eb 100644
--- a/stinit.8
+++ b/stinit.8
@@ -263,10 +263,9 @@ The long timeout for the device is set to
 seconds.
 .SH RETURN VALUE
 The program exits with value one if the command line is incorrect, the
-definition file is not found, or option -p is given and parsing the
-definition file fails. In all other cases the return value is
-zero (i.e., failing of initialization is not currently signaled by
-the return value).
+definition file is not found, option -p is given and parsing the
+definition file fails, or defining one or more of the options fails
+when the tape number(s) are given on command line.
 .SH RESTRICTIONS
 With the exception of the -p option, the program can be used only by
 the superuser. This is because the program uses ioctls allowed only
diff --git a/stinit.c b/stinit.c
index 80face7..bc7a333 100644
--- a/stinit.c
+++ b/stinit.c
@@ -681,11 +681,11 @@ static int find_devfiles(int tapeno, char **names)
 
 static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
 {
-    int i, tape;
+    int i, tape, fails;
     int clear_set[2];
     struct mtop op;
 
-    for (i = 0; i < NBR_MODES; i++) {
+    for (i = fails = 0; i < NBR_MODES; i++) {
         if (*fnames[i] == '\0' || !defs->modedefs[i].defined)
             continue;
 
@@ -699,14 +699,19 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
             if (defs->do_rewind) {
                 op.mt_op = MTREW;
                 op.mt_count = 1;
-                ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op); /* Don't worry about result */
+                if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		    fails++;
+		    fprintf(stderr, "Rewind of %s fails.\n", fnames[i]);
+		}
             }
 
             if (defs->drive_buffering >= 0) {
                 op.mt_op = MTSETDRVBUFFER;
                 op.mt_count = MT_ST_DEF_DRVBUFFER | defs->drive_buffering;
                 if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
-                    fprintf(stderr, "Can't set drive buffering to %d.\n", defs->drive_buffering);
+		    fails++;
+                    fprintf(stderr, "Can't set drive buffering to %d.\n",
+			    defs->drive_buffering);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -714,7 +719,9 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
                 op.mt_op = MTSETDRVBUFFER;
                 op.mt_count = MT_ST_SET_TIMEOUT | defs->timeout;
                 if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
-                    fprintf(stderr, "Can't set device timeout %d s.\n", defs->timeout);
+		    fails++;
+                    fprintf(stderr, "Can't set device timeout %d s.\n",
+			    defs->timeout);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -722,6 +729,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
                 op.mt_op = MTSETDRVBUFFER;
                 op.mt_count = MT_ST_SET_LONG_TIMEOUT | defs->long_timeout;
                 if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		    fails++;
                     fprintf(stderr, "Can't set device long timeout %d s.\n",
                             defs->long_timeout);
                 }
@@ -731,6 +739,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
                 op.mt_op = MTSETDRVBUFFER;
                 op.mt_count = MT_ST_SET_CLN | defs->cleaning;
                 if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		    fails++;
                     fprintf(stderr, "Can't set cleaning request parameter to %x\n",
                             defs->cleaning);
                 }
@@ -774,6 +783,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
         if (clear_set[0] != 0) {
             op.mt_count = MT_ST_CLEARBOOLEANS | clear_set[0];
             if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		fails++;
                 fprintf(stderr, "Can't clear the tape options (bits 0x%x, mode %d).\n",
                         clear_set[0], i);
             }
@@ -781,6 +791,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
         if (clear_set[1] != 0) {
             op.mt_count = MT_ST_SETBOOLEANS | clear_set[1];
             if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		fails++;
                 fprintf(stderr, "Can't set the tape options (bits 0x%x, mode %d).\n",
                         clear_set[1], i);
             }
@@ -789,6 +800,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
         if (defs->modedefs[i].blocksize >= 0) {
             op.mt_count = MT_ST_DEF_BLKSIZE | defs->modedefs[i].blocksize;
             if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		fails++;
                 fprintf(stderr, "Can't set blocksize %d for mode %d.\n",
                         defs->modedefs[i].blocksize, i);
             }
@@ -796,6 +808,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
         if (defs->modedefs[i].density >= 0) {
             op.mt_count = MT_ST_DEF_DENSITY | defs->modedefs[i].density;
             if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		fails++;
                 fprintf(stderr, "Can't set density %x for mode %d.\n",
                         defs->modedefs[i].density, i);
             }
@@ -803,6 +816,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
         if (defs->modedefs[i].compression >= 0) {
             op.mt_count = MT_ST_DEF_COMPRESSION | defs->modedefs[i].compression;
             if (ioctl(tape, MTIOCTOP, &op) != 0) {
+		fails++;
                 fprintf(stderr, "Can't set compression %d for mode %d.\n",
                         defs->modedefs[i].compression, i);
             }
@@ -810,7 +824,7 @@ static int set_defs(devdef_tr *defs, char **fnames)
 
         close(tape);
     }
-    return TRUE;
+    return (fails == 0);
 }
 
 
@@ -876,7 +890,7 @@ static char usage(int retval)
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
     FILE *dbf = NULL;
-    int argn;
+    int argn, retval = 0;
     int tapeno, parse_only = FALSE;
     char *dbname = NULL;
     char *convp;
@@ -933,8 +947,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
                 fprintf(stderr, "Can't find tape number for name '%s'.\n", argv[argn]);
                 continue;
             }
-            if (!define_tape(tapeno, dbf, &defs, TRUE))
+            if (!define_tape(tapeno, dbf, &defs, TRUE)) {
                 fprintf(stderr, "Definition for '%s' failed.\n", argv[argn]);
+		retval = 1;
+	    }
         }
     } else { /* Initialize all SCSI tapes */
         for (tapeno = 0; tapeno < MAX_TAPES; tapeno++)
@@ -945,5 +961,5 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             }
     }
 
-    return 0;
+    return retval;
 }
diff --git a/tests/stinit-errors.test b/tests/stinit-errors.test
index 4fed36f..9f670a2 100644
--- a/tests/stinit-errors.test
+++ b/tests/stinit-errors.test
@@ -39,11 +39,11 @@
 # 1000 tapes.
 ./stinit -f stinit.def.examples 1000
 >>>2 /Can't find any device files for tape 1000/
->>>= 0
+>>>= 1
 
 ./stinit -f stinit.def.examples 1000
 >>>2 /Definition for '1000' failed/
->>>= 0
+>>>= 1
 
 # Wrong tape number (non-numeric).
 ./stinit -f stinit.def.examples 1000a