diff --git a/src/tsalvaged/salvsync-debug.c b/src/tsalvaged/salvsync-debug.c
index f3775350e4..b802c58786 100644
--- a/src/tsalvaged/salvsync-debug.c
+++ b/src/tsalvaged/salvsync-debug.c
@@ -186,7 +186,13 @@ common_prolog(struct cmd_syndesc * as, struct state * state)
 #endif
 
     VOptDefaults(debugUtility, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(debugUtility, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(debugUtility, &opts)) {
+	/* VInitVolumePackage2 can fail on e.g. partition attachment errors,
+	 * but we don't really care, since all we're doing is trying to use
+	 * SALVSYNC */
+	fprintf(stderr, "errors encountered initializing volume package, but "
+	                "trying to continue anyway\n");
+    }
     DInit(1);
 
     if ((ti = as->parms[COMMON_PARMS_OFFSET].items)) {	/* -reason */
diff --git a/src/vol/fssync-debug.c b/src/vol/fssync-debug.c
index c746ed0c53..a5414d5496 100644
--- a/src/vol/fssync-debug.c
+++ b/src/vol/fssync-debug.c
@@ -232,7 +232,13 @@ common_prolog(struct cmd_syndesc * as, struct state * state)
 #endif
 
     VOptDefaults(debugUtility, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(debugUtility, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(debugUtility, &opts)) {
+	/* VInitVolumePackage2 can fail on e.g. partition attachment errors,
+	 * but we don't really care, since all we're doing is trying to use
+	 * FSSYNC */
+	fprintf(stderr, "errors encountered initializing volume package, but "
+	                "trying to continue anyway\n");
+    }
     DInit(1);
 
     if ((ti = as->parms[COMMON_PARMS_OFFSET].items)) {	/* -reason */
diff --git a/src/vol/salvaged.c b/src/vol/salvaged.c
index 2dbbc18e01..64680fe579 100644
--- a/src/vol/salvaged.c
+++ b/src/vol/salvaged.c
@@ -423,7 +423,13 @@ SalvageClient(VolumeId vid, char * pname)
     VolumePackageOptions opts;
 
     VOptDefaults(volumeUtility, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(volumeUtility, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(volumeUtility, &opts)) {
+	/* VInitVolumePackage2 can fail on e.g. partition attachment errors,
+	 * but we don't really care, since all we're doing is trying to use
+	 * SALVSYNC */
+	fprintf(stderr, "errors encountered initializing volume package, but "
+	                "trying to continue anyway\n");
+    }
     SALVSYNC_clientInit();
     
     code = SALVSYNC_SalvageVolume(vid, pname, SALVSYNC_SALVAGE, SALVSYNC_OPERATOR, 0, NULL);
@@ -511,7 +517,10 @@ SalvageServer(void)
 
     /* initialize things */
     VOptDefaults(salvageServer, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(salvageServer, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(salvageServer, &opts)) {
+	Log("Shutting down: errors encountered initializing volume package\n");
+	Exit(1);
+    }
     DInit(10);
     queue_Init(&pending_q);
     queue_Init(&log_cleanup_queue);
diff --git a/src/vol/salvager.c b/src/vol/salvager.c
index 093bbac48c..5f305c8902 100644
--- a/src/vol/salvager.c
+++ b/src/vol/salvager.c
@@ -324,7 +324,10 @@ handleit(struct cmd_syndesc *as, void *arock)
     }
 
     VOptDefaults(pt, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(pt, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(pt, &opts)) {
+	Log("errors encountered initializing volume package; salvage aborted\n");
+	Exit(1);
+    }
     DInit(10);
 #ifdef AFS_NT40_ENV
     if (myjob.cj_number != NOT_CHILD) {
diff --git a/src/vol/test/testpart.c b/src/vol/test/testpart.c
index 9044c6c598..dc29b80847 100644
--- a/src/vol/test/testpart.c
+++ b/src/vol/test/testpart.c
@@ -41,7 +41,10 @@ main(argc, argv)
     VolumePackageOptions opts;
 
     VOptDefaults(1, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(1, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(1, &opts)) {
+	printf("errors encountered initializing volume package\n");
+	exit(-1);
+    }
     VPrintDiskStats();
 
 }
diff --git a/src/volser/vol-dump.c b/src/volser/vol-dump.c
index ae743ad2c9..c53ad37c96 100644
--- a/src/volser/vol-dump.c
+++ b/src/volser/vol-dump.c
@@ -302,7 +302,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     VolumePackageOptions opts;
 
     VOptDefaults(volumeUtility, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(volumeUtility, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(volumeUtility, &opts)) {
+	fprintf(stderr, "errors encountered initializing volume package, but "
+	                "trying to continue anyway\n");
+    }
 
     ts = cmd_CreateSyntax(NULL, handleit, NULL,
 			  "Dump a volume to a 'vos dump' format file without using volserver");
diff --git a/src/volser/volmain.c b/src/volser/volmain.c
index 46e8541296..f9024f68ed 100644
--- a/src/volser/volmain.c
+++ b/src/volser/volmain.c
@@ -426,7 +426,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
     OpenLog(AFSDIR_SERVER_VOLSERLOG_FILEPATH);
 
     VOptDefaults(volumeServer, &opts);
-    VInitVolumePackage2(volumeServer, &opts);
+    if (VInitVolumePackage2(volumeServer, &opts)) {
+	Log("Shutting down: errors encountered initializing volume package\n");
+	exit(1);
+    }
     /* For nuke() */
     Lock_Init(&localLock);
     DInit(40);