diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/block.rs b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/block.rs
index f7feb1ebf9..9e30226dbe 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/block.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/block.rs
@@ -342,9 +342,6 @@ pub fn run_block_device(program_name: &str, args: &[&str]) -> anyhow::Result<()>
     let block = BlockBackend::new(BLOCK_EXECUTOR.clone(), filename, fileopts)?;
     let handler = DeviceRequestHandler::new(block);
 
-    if let Err(e) = ex.run_until(handler.run(opts.socket, &ex)) {
-        bail!("error occurred: {}", e);
-    }
-
-    Ok(())
+    // run_until() returns an Result<Result<..>> which the ? operator lets us flatten.
+    ex.run_until(handler.run(opts.socket, &ex))?
 }
diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/console.rs b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/console.rs
index c3b76401d4..e2fb1bb921 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/console.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/console.rs
@@ -267,10 +267,8 @@ fn run_console(params: &SerialParameters, socket: &str) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     let _ = CONSOLE_EXECUTOR.set(ex.clone());
 
-    if let Err(e) = ex.run_until(handler.run(socket, &ex)) {
-        bail!(e);
-    }
-    Ok(())
+    // run_until() returns an Result<Result<..>> which the ? operator lets us flatten.
+    ex.run_until(handler.run(socket, &ex))?
 }
 
 #[derive(FromArgs)]
diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/cras_snd.rs b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/cras_snd.rs
index 96aaade641..a2d41051c3 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/cras_snd.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/cras_snd.rs
@@ -285,7 +285,6 @@ pub fn run_cras_snd_device(program_name: &str, args: &[&str]) -> anyhow::Result<
 
     let _ = SND_EXECUTOR.set(ex.clone());
 
-    let _ = ex.run_until(handler.run_with_listener(listener, &ex))?;
-
-    Ok(())
+    // run_until() returns an Result<Result<..>> which the ? operator lets us flatten.
+    ex.run_until(handler.run_with_listener(listener, &ex))?
 }
diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/fs.rs b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/fs.rs
index 5936bb0e32..0f067f0ada 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/fs.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/fs.rs
@@ -337,9 +337,6 @@ pub fn run_fs_device(program_name: &str, args: &[&str]) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
     let _ = FS_EXECUTOR.set(ex.clone());
 
-    if let Err(e) = ex.run_until(handler.run_with_listener(listener, &ex)) {
-        bail!(e);
-    }
-
-    Ok(())
+    // run_until() returns an Result<Result<..>> which the ? operator lets us flatten.
+    ex.run_until(handler.run_with_listener(listener, &ex))?
 }
diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/gpu.rs b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/gpu.rs
index 988ad2000b..0900193a06 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/gpu.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/gpu.rs
@@ -489,9 +489,6 @@ pub fn run_gpu_device(program_name: &str, args: &[&str]) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     };
 
     let handler = DeviceRequestHandler::new(backend);
-    if let Err(e) = ex.run_until(handler.run(socket, &ex)) {
-        error!("error occurred: {}", e);
-    }
-
-    Ok(())
+    // run_until() returns an Result<Result<..>> which the ? operator lets us flatten.
+    ex.run_until(handler.run(socket, &ex))?
 }
diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/net.rs b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/net.rs
index fe0a982be5..4da05ebeba 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/net.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/net.rs
@@ -413,20 +413,19 @@ pub fn run_net_device(program_name: &str, args: &[&str]) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let handler = DeviceRequestHandler::new(backend);
         let ex = Executor::new().context("failed to create executor")?;
 
-        threads.push(thread::spawn(move || {
+        threads.push(thread::spawn(move || -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             NET_EXECUTOR.with(|thread_ex| {
                 let _ = thread_ex.set(ex.clone());
             });
-            if let Err(e) = ex.run_until(handler.run(&socket, &ex)) {
-                bail!("error occurred: {}", e);
-            }
-            Ok(())
+            // run_until() returns an Result<Result<..>> which the ? operator lets us flatten.
+            ex.run_until(handler.run(&socket, &ex))?
         }));
     }
 
     for t in threads {
-        if let Err(e) = t.join() {
-            bail!("failed to join threads: {:?}", e);
+        match t.join() {
+            Ok(r) => r?,
+            Err(e) => bail!("thread panicked: {:?}", e),
         }
     }
     Ok(())
diff --git a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/wl.rs b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/wl.rs
index 3d0cd08422..377f02f323 100644
--- a/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/wl.rs
+++ b/devices/src/virtio/vhost/user/device/wl.rs
@@ -361,9 +361,6 @@ pub fn run_wl_device(program_name: &str, args: &[&str]) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let handler =
         DeviceRequestHandler::new(WlBackend::new(wayland_paths, vm_socket, resource_bridge));
 
-    if let Err(e) = ex.run_until(handler.run(socket, &ex)) {
-        bail!("error occurred: {}", e);
-    }
-
-    Ok(())
+    // run_until() returns an Result<Result<..>> which the ? operator lets us flatten.
+    ex.run_until(handler.run(socket, &ex))?
 }