diff --git a/src/driver.c b/src/driver.c
index 9b137c39e4..447f61d554 100644
--- a/src/driver.c
+++ b/src/driver.c
@@ -103,15 +103,22 @@ virDriverLoadModuleFunc(void *handle,
  */
 int
 virDriverLoadModuleFull(const char *path,
-                        const char *regfunc)
+                        const char *regfunc,
+                        bool required)
 {
     void *rethandle = NULL;
     int (*regsym)(void);
     int ret = -1;
 
     if (!virFileExists(path)) {
-        VIR_INFO("Module '%s' does not exists", path);
-        return 1;
+        if (required) {
+            virReportSystemError(errno,
+                                 _("Failed to find module '%s'"), path);
+            return -1;
+        } else {
+            VIR_INFO("Module '%s' does not exist", path);
+            return 1;
+        }
     }
 
     if (!(rethandle = virDriverLoadModuleFile(path)))
@@ -144,21 +151,29 @@ virDriverLoadModuleFull(const char *path,
 #else /* ! HAVE_DLFCN_H */
 int
 virDriverLoadModuleFull(const char *path ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                        const char *regfunc ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
+                        const char *regfunc ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                        bool required)
 {
     VIR_DEBUG("dlopen not available on this platform");
-    /* Since we have no dlopen(), but definition we have no
-     * loadable modules on disk, so we can resaonably
-     * return '1' instead of an error.
-     */
-    return 1;
+    if (required) {
+        virReportSystemError(ENOSYS,
+                             _("Failed to find module '%s': %s"), path);
+        return -1;
+    } else {
+        /* Since we have no dlopen(), but definition we have no
+         * loadable modules on disk, so we can resaonably
+         * return '1' instead of an error.
+         */
+        return 1;
+    }
 }
 #endif /* ! HAVE_DLFCN_H */
 
 
 int
 virDriverLoadModule(const char *name,
-                    const char *regfunc)
+                    const char *regfunc,
+                    bool required)
 {
     char *modfile = NULL;
     int ret;
@@ -173,7 +188,7 @@ virDriverLoadModule(const char *name,
                                             "LIBVIRT_DRIVER_DIR")))
         return -1;
 
-    ret = virDriverLoadModuleFull(modfile, regfunc);
+    ret = virDriverLoadModuleFull(modfile, regfunc, required);
 
     VIR_FREE(modfile);
 
diff --git a/src/driver.h b/src/driver.h
index e28c63ecc2..b4e50ab987 100644
--- a/src/driver.h
+++ b/src/driver.h
@@ -108,9 +108,11 @@ int virSetSharedSecretDriver(virSecretDriverPtr driver) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 int virSetSharedStorageDriver(virStorageDriverPtr driver) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
 int virDriverLoadModule(const char *name,
-                        const char *regfunc);
+                        const char *regfunc,
+                        bool required);
 int virDriverLoadModuleFull(const char *path,
-                            const char *regfunc);
+                            const char *regfunc,
+                            bool required);
 
 virConnectPtr virGetConnectInterface(void);
 virConnectPtr virGetConnectNetwork(void);
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_daemon.c b/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
index 3e02297eee..b4f89d4fd7 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_daemon.c
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ static int daemonErrorLogFilter(virErrorPtr err, int priority)
 
 
 #define VIR_DAEMON_LOAD_MODULE(func, module) \
-    virDriverLoadModule(module, #func)
+    virDriverLoadModule(module, #func, false)
 static void daemonInitialize(void)
 {
     /*
diff --git a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
index a1bc1090bf..ee5e3b0701 100644
--- a/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
+++ b/src/security/virt-aa-helper.c
@@ -964,7 +964,7 @@ get_files(vahControl * ctl)
 
     /* load the storage driver so that backing store can be accessed */
 #ifdef WITH_STORAGE
-    virDriverLoadModule("storage", "storageRegister");
+    virDriverLoadModule("storage", "storageRegister", false);
 #endif
 
     for (i = 0; i < ctl->def->ndisks; i++) {
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend.c b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
index 8c1dcf31b1..cb1bcc0944 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend.c
@@ -97,14 +97,7 @@ virStorageDriverLoadBackendModule(const char *name,
                                             "LIBVIRT_STORAGE_BACKEND_DIR")))
         return -1;
 
-    if ((ret = virDriverLoadModuleFull(modfile, regfunc)) != 0) {
-        if (forceload) {
-            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                           _("failed to load storage backend module '%s'"),
-                           name);
-            ret = -1;
-        }
-    }
+    ret = virDriverLoadModuleFull(modfile, regfunc, forceload);
 
     VIR_FREE(modfile);
 
diff --git a/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c b/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c
index 6c63ecd52b..125183327b 100644
--- a/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c
+++ b/tests/virdrivermoduletest.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ static int testDriverModule(const void *args)
     const struct testDriverModuleData *data = args;
 
     /* coverity[leaked_storage] */
-    if (virDriverLoadModule(data->module, data->regfunc) != 0)
+    if (virDriverLoadModule(data->module, data->regfunc, true) != 0)
         return -1;
 
     return 0;