diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_agent.c b/src/qemu/qemu_agent.c
index b9738bf1d9..1e03e67351 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_agent.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_agent.c
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ struct _qemuAgent {
     qemuAgentEvent await_event;
 };
 
+static int qemuAgentCheckError(virJSONValuePtr cmd, virJSONValuePtr reply);
+
 static virClassPtr qemuAgentClass;
 static void qemuAgentDispose(void *obj);
 
@@ -1013,6 +1015,7 @@ qemuAgentCommand(qemuAgentPtr mon,
             }
         } else {
             *reply = msg.rxObject;
+            ret = qemuAgentCheckError(cmd, *reply);
         }
     }
 
@@ -1279,9 +1282,6 @@ int qemuAgentShutdown(qemuAgentPtr mon,
     ret = qemuAgentCommand(mon, cmd, &reply,
                            VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_AGENT_COMMAND_BLOCK);
 
-    if (reply && ret == 0)
-        ret = qemuAgentCheckError(cmd, reply);
-
     virJSONValueFree(cmd);
     virJSONValueFree(reply);
     return ret;
@@ -1310,8 +1310,7 @@ int qemuAgentFSFreeze(qemuAgentPtr mon)
         return -1;
 
     if (qemuAgentCommand(mon, cmd, &reply,
-                         VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_AGENT_COMMAND_BLOCK) < 0 ||
-        qemuAgentCheckError(cmd, reply) < 0)
+                         VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_AGENT_COMMAND_BLOCK) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virJSONValueObjectGetNumberInt(reply, "return", &ret) < 0) {
@@ -1348,8 +1347,7 @@ int qemuAgentFSThaw(qemuAgentPtr mon)
         return -1;
 
     if (qemuAgentCommand(mon, cmd, &reply,
-                         VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_AGENT_COMMAND_BLOCK) < 0 ||
-        qemuAgentCheckError(cmd, reply) < 0)
+                         VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_AGENT_COMMAND_BLOCK) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virJSONValueObjectGetNumberInt(reply, "return", &ret) < 0) {
@@ -1388,9 +1386,6 @@ qemuAgentSuspend(qemuAgentPtr mon,
     ret = qemuAgentCommand(mon, cmd, &reply,
                            VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_AGENT_COMMAND_BLOCK);
 
-    if (reply && ret == 0)
-        ret = qemuAgentCheckError(cmd, reply);
-
     virJSONValueFree(cmd);
     virJSONValueFree(reply);
     return ret;
@@ -1421,9 +1416,6 @@ qemuAgentArbitraryCommand(qemuAgentPtr mon,
     if ((ret = qemuAgentCommand(mon, cmd, &reply, timeout)) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if ((ret = qemuAgentCheckError(cmd, reply)) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     if (!(*result = virJSONValueToString(reply, false)))
         ret = -1;
 
@@ -1451,9 +1443,6 @@ qemuAgentFSTrim(qemuAgentPtr mon,
     ret = qemuAgentCommand(mon, cmd, &reply,
                            VIR_DOMAIN_QEMU_AGENT_COMMAND_BLOCK);
 
-    if (reply && ret == 0)
-        ret = qemuAgentCheckError(cmd, reply);
-
     virJSONValueFree(cmd);
     virJSONValueFree(reply);
     return ret;