diff --git a/src/database.c b/src/database.c
index 660d9768a..3899e32dd 100644
--- a/src/database.c
+++ b/src/database.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ db_walk(const char *name,
 }
 
 bool
-db_check(void)
+db_check(GError **error_r)
 {
 	struct stat st;
 
@@ -167,22 +167,27 @@ db_check(void)
 		/* Check that the parent part of the path is a directory */
 		if (stat(dirPath, &st) < 0) {
 			g_free(dirPath);
-			g_warning("Couldn't stat parent directory of db file "
-				  "\"%s\": %s", database_path, strerror(errno));
+			g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), errno,
+				    "Couldn't stat parent directory of db file "
+				    "\"%s\": %s",
+				    database_path, g_strerror(errno));
 			return false;
 		}
 
 		if (!S_ISDIR(st.st_mode)) {
 			g_free(dirPath);
-			g_warning("Couldn't create db file \"%s\" because the "
-				  "parent path is not a directory", database_path);
+			g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), 0,
+				    "Couldn't create db file \"%s\" because the "
+				    "parent path is not a directory",
+				    database_path);
 			return false;
 		}
 
 		/* Check if we can write to the directory */
 		if (access(dirPath, X_OK | W_OK)) {
-			g_warning("Can't create db file in \"%s\": %s",
-				  dirPath, strerror(errno));
+			g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), errno,
+				    "Can't create db file in \"%s\": %s",
+				    dirPath, g_strerror(errno));
 			g_free(dirPath);
 			return false;
 		}
@@ -194,20 +199,24 @@ db_check(void)
 
 	/* Path exists, now check if it's a regular file */
 	if (stat(database_path, &st) < 0) {
-		g_warning("Couldn't stat db file \"%s\": %s",
-			  database_path, strerror(errno));
+		g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), errno,
+			    "Couldn't stat db file \"%s\": %s",
+			    database_path, g_strerror(errno));
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	if (!S_ISREG(st.st_mode)) {
-		g_warning("db file \"%s\" is not a regular file", database_path);
+		g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), 0,
+			    "db file \"%s\" is not a regular file",
+			    database_path);
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	/* And check that we can write to it */
 	if (access(database_path, R_OK | W_OK)) {
-		g_warning("Can't open db file \"%s\" for reading/writing: %s",
-			  database_path, strerror(errno));
+		g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), errno,
+			    "Can't open db file \"%s\" for reading/writing: %s",
+			    database_path, g_strerror(errno));
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -215,7 +224,7 @@ db_check(void)
 }
 
 bool
-db_save(void)
+db_save(GError **error_r)
 {
 	FILE *fp;
 	struct stat st;
@@ -234,8 +243,9 @@ db_save(void)
 
 	fp = fopen(database_path, "w");
 	if (!fp) {
-		g_warning("unable to write to db file \"%s\": %s",
-			  database_path, strerror(errno));
+		g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), errno,
+			    "unable to write to db file \"%s\": %s",
+			    database_path, g_strerror(errno));
 		return false;
 	}
 
@@ -253,8 +263,9 @@ db_save(void)
 	directory_save(fp, music_root);
 
 	if (ferror(fp)) {
-		g_warning("Failed to write to database file: %s",
-			  strerror(errno));
+		g_set_error(error_r, db_quark(), errno,
+			    "Failed to write to database file: %s",
+			    g_strerror(errno));
 		fclose(fp);
 		return false;
 	}
diff --git a/src/database.h b/src/database.h
index 75233e3a2..66423f46f 100644
--- a/src/database.h
+++ b/src/database.h
@@ -62,10 +62,10 @@ int db_walk(const char *name,
 	    int (*forEachDir)(struct directory *, void *), void *data);
 
 bool
-db_check(void);
+db_check(GError **error_r);
 
 bool
-db_save(void);
+db_save(GError **error_r);
 
 bool
 db_load(GError **error);
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index a57a19a81..e73f5ade0 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -182,9 +182,10 @@ glue_db_init_and_load(void)
 	if (!ret) {
 		g_warning("Failed to load database: %s", error->message);
 		g_error_free(error);
+		error = NULL;
 
-		if (!db_check())
-			exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+		if (!db_check(&error))
+			MPD_ERROR("%s", error->message);
 
 		db_clear();
 
diff --git a/src/update.c b/src/update.c
index 8fe6023ae..1a3060653 100644
--- a/src/update.c
+++ b/src/update.c
@@ -68,8 +68,14 @@ static void * update_task(void *_path)
 
 	modified = update_walk(path, discard);
 
-	if (modified || !db_exists())
-		db_save();
+	if (modified || !db_exists()) {
+		GError *error = NULL;
+		if (!db_save(&error)) {
+			g_warning("Failed to save database: %s",
+				  error->message);
+			g_error_free(error);
+		}
+	}
 
 	if (path != NULL && *path != 0)
 		g_debug("finished: %s", path);