diff --git a/src/util/virhash.c b/src/util/virhash.c
index d6f208eacc..a8e0edfd3b 100644
--- a/src/util/virhash.c
+++ b/src/util/virhash.c
@@ -579,13 +579,16 @@ virHashRemoveEntry(virHashTablePtr table, const void *name)
  * Iterates over every element in the hash table, invoking the
  * 'iter' callback. The callback is allowed to remove the current element
  * using virHashRemoveEntry but calling other virHash* functions is prohibited.
+ * If @iter fails and returns a negative value, the evaluation is stopped and -1
+ * is returned.
  *
- * Returns number of items iterated over upon completion, -1 on failure
+ * Returns 0 on success or -1 on failure.
  */
-ssize_t
+int
 virHashForEach(virHashTablePtr table, virHashIterator iter, void *data)
 {
-    size_t i, count = 0;
+    size_t i;
+    int ret = -1;
 
     if (table == NULL || iter == NULL)
         return -1;
@@ -599,20 +602,24 @@ virHashForEach(virHashTablePtr table, virHashIterator iter, void *data)
         virHashEntryPtr entry = table->table[i];
         while (entry) {
             virHashEntryPtr next = entry->next;
-
             table->current = entry;
-            iter(entry->payload, entry->name, data);
+            ret = iter(entry->payload, entry->name, data);
             table->current = NULL;
 
-            count++;
+            if (ret < 0)
+                goto cleanup;
+
             entry = next;
         }
     }
-    table->iterating = false;
 
-    return count;
+    ret = 0;
+ cleanup:
+    table->iterating = false;
+    return ret;
 }
 
+
 /**
  * virHashRemoveSet
  * @table: the hash table to process
diff --git a/src/util/virhash.h b/src/util/virhash.h
index ed6bba3db7..61c172b9e0 100644
--- a/src/util/virhash.h
+++ b/src/util/virhash.h
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ bool virHashEqual(const virHashTable *table1,
 /*
  * Iterators
  */
-ssize_t virHashForEach(virHashTablePtr table, virHashIterator iter, void *data);
+int virHashForEach(virHashTablePtr table, virHashIterator iter, void *data);
 ssize_t virHashRemoveSet(virHashTablePtr table, virHashSearcher iter, const void *data);
 void *virHashSearch(const virHashTable *table, virHashSearcher iter,
                     const void *data);
diff --git a/tests/virhashtest.c b/tests/virhashtest.c
index 323c68e20a..a3ec13c7e8 100644
--- a/tests/virhashtest.c
+++ b/tests/virhashtest.c
@@ -61,24 +61,26 @@ testHashCheckForEachCount(void *payload ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                           const void *name ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                           void *data ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
+    size_t *count = data;
+    *count += 1;
     return 0;
 }
 
 static int
 testHashCheckCount(virHashTablePtr hash, size_t count)
 {
-    ssize_t iter_count = 0;
+    size_t iter_count = 0;
 
     if (virHashSize(hash) != count) {
-        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nhash contains %zu instead of %zu elements\n",
-                  (size_t)virHashSize(hash), count);
+        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nhash contains %zd instead of %zu elements\n",
+                         virHashSize(hash), count);
         return -1;
     }
 
-    iter_count = virHashForEach(hash, testHashCheckForEachCount, NULL);
+    virHashForEach(hash, testHashCheckForEachCount, &iter_count);
     if (count != iter_count) {
-        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nhash claims to have %zu elements but iteration finds %zu\n",
-                  count, (size_t)iter_count);
+        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nhash claims to have %zu elements but iteration"
+                         "finds %zu\n", count, iter_count);
         return -1;
     }
 
@@ -250,18 +252,13 @@ testHashRemoveForEach(const void *data)
 {
     const struct testInfo *info = data;
     virHashTablePtr hash;
-    int count;
     int ret = -1;
 
     if (!(hash = testHashInit(0)))
         return -1;
 
-    count = virHashForEach(hash, (virHashIterator) info->data, hash);
-
-    if (count != ARRAY_CARDINALITY(uuids)) {
-        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nvirHashForEach didn't go through all entries,"
-                  " %d != %zu\n",
-                  count, ARRAY_CARDINALITY(uuids));
+    if (virHashForEach(hash, (virHashIterator) info->data, hash)) {
+        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nvirHashForEach didn't go through all entries");
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -343,18 +340,13 @@ static int
 testHashForEach(const void *data ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
     virHashTablePtr hash;
-    int count;
     int ret = -1;
 
     if (!(hash = testHashInit(0)))
         return -1;
 
-    count = virHashForEach(hash, testHashForEachIter, hash);
-
-    if (count != ARRAY_CARDINALITY(uuids)) {
-        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nvirHashForEach didn't go through all entries,"
-                  " %d != %zu\n",
-                  count, ARRAY_CARDINALITY(uuids));
+    if (virHashForEach(hash, testHashForEachIter, hash)) {
+        VIR_TEST_VERBOSE("\nvirHashForEach didn't go through all entries");
         goto cleanup;
     }