diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 7bcf6d097..a8154bde6 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2008-08-14  Dan Williams  <dcbw@redhat.com>
+
+	* src/nm-netlink-monitor.c
+	  src/nm-netlink-monitor.h
+	  src/nm-device-ethernet.c
+		- (nm_netlink_monitor_request_status): return an error on failure
+		- (constructor): don't segfault on missing error
+
 2008-08-13  Dan Williams  <dcbw@redhat.com>
 
 	* callouts/nm-dispatcher-action.c
diff --git a/src/nm-device-ethernet.c b/src/nm-device-ethernet.c
index a07f9573c..7db406332 100644
--- a/src/nm-device-ethernet.c
+++ b/src/nm-device-ethernet.c
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ constructor (GType type,
 											  dev);
 
 		if (!nm_netlink_monitor_request_status (monitor, &error)) {
-			nm_warning ("couldn't request carrier state: %s", error->message);
+			nm_warning ("couldn't request carrier state: %s", error ? error->message : "unknown");
 			g_error_free (error);
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/nm-netlink-monitor.c b/src/nm-netlink-monitor.c
index 2d16f4136..0e9c87294 100644
--- a/src/nm-netlink-monitor.c
+++ b/src/nm-netlink-monitor.c
@@ -434,7 +434,10 @@ nm_netlink_monitor_request_status (NMNetlinkMonitor  *monitor,
 
 	/* Update the link cache with latest state */
 	if (nl_cache_refill (priv->nlh, priv->nlh_link_cache)) {
-		nm_warning ("Error updating link cache: %s", nl_geterror ());
+		g_set_error (error, NM_NETLINK_MONITOR_ERROR,
+		             NM_NETLINK_MONITOR_ERROR_LINK_CACHE_UPDATE,
+		             _("error updating link cache: %s"),
+		             nl_geterror ());
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/nm-netlink-monitor.h b/src/nm-netlink-monitor.h
index 46497a958..a74b763a0 100644
--- a/src/nm-netlink-monitor.h
+++ b/src/nm-netlink-monitor.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	NM_NETLINK_MONITOR_ERROR_PROCESSING_MESSAGE,
 	NM_NETLINK_MONITOR_ERROR_BAD_ALLOC,
 	NM_NETLINK_MONITOR_ERROR_WAITING_FOR_SOCKET_DATA,
+	NM_NETLINK_MONITOR_ERROR_LINK_CACHE_UPDATE
 } NMNetlinkMonitorError;
 
 typedef struct {