diff --git a/ebpf/ebpf_rss-stub.c b/ebpf/ebpf_rss-stub.c
index 8d7fae2ad9..d0e7f99fb9 100644
--- a/ebpf/ebpf_rss-stub.c
+++ b/ebpf/ebpf_rss-stub.c
@@ -23,19 +23,21 @@ bool ebpf_rss_is_loaded(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
     return false;
 }
 
-bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
+bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, Error **errp)
 {
     return false;
 }
 
 bool ebpf_rss_load_fds(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, int program_fd,
-                       int config_fd, int toeplitz_fd, int table_fd)
+                       int config_fd, int toeplitz_fd, int table_fd,
+                       Error **errp)
 {
     return false;
 }
 
 bool ebpf_rss_set_all(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, struct EBPFRSSConfig *config,
-                      uint16_t *indirections_table, uint8_t *toeplitz_key)
+                      uint16_t *indirections_table, uint8_t *toeplitz_key,
+                      Error **errp)
 {
     return false;
 }
diff --git a/ebpf/ebpf_rss.c b/ebpf/ebpf_rss.c
index d39916b368..67cdab197d 100644
--- a/ebpf/ebpf_rss.c
+++ b/ebpf/ebpf_rss.c
@@ -47,13 +47,14 @@ bool ebpf_rss_is_loaded(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
     return ctx != NULL && (ctx->obj != NULL || ctx->program_fd != -1);
 }
 
-static bool ebpf_rss_mmap(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
+static bool ebpf_rss_mmap(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, Error **errp)
 {
     ctx->mmap_configuration = mmap(NULL, qemu_real_host_page_size(),
                                    PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED,
                                    ctx->map_configuration, 0);
     if (ctx->mmap_configuration == MAP_FAILED) {
         trace_ebpf_rss_mmap_error(ctx, "configuration");
+        error_setg(errp, "Unable to map eBPF configuration array");
         return false;
     }
     ctx->mmap_toeplitz_key = mmap(NULL, qemu_real_host_page_size(),
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ static bool ebpf_rss_mmap(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
                                    ctx->map_toeplitz_key, 0);
     if (ctx->mmap_toeplitz_key == MAP_FAILED) {
         trace_ebpf_rss_mmap_error(ctx, "toeplitz key");
+        error_setg(errp, "Unable to map eBPF toeplitz array");
         goto toeplitz_fail;
     }
     ctx->mmap_indirections_table = mmap(NULL, qemu_real_host_page_size(),
@@ -68,6 +70,7 @@ static bool ebpf_rss_mmap(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
                                    ctx->map_indirections_table, 0);
     if (ctx->mmap_indirections_table == MAP_FAILED) {
         trace_ebpf_rss_mmap_error(ctx, "indirections table");
+        error_setg(errp, "Unable to map eBPF indirection array");
         goto indirection_fail;
     }
 
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@ static void ebpf_rss_munmap(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
     ctx->mmap_indirections_table = NULL;
 }
 
-bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
+bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, Error **errp)
 {
     struct rss_bpf *rss_bpf_ctx;
 
@@ -106,6 +109,7 @@ bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
     rss_bpf_ctx = rss_bpf__open();
     if (rss_bpf_ctx == NULL) {
         trace_ebpf_rss_open_error(ctx);
+        error_setg(errp, "Unable to open eBPF RSS object");
         goto error;
     }
 
@@ -113,6 +117,7 @@ bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
 
     if (rss_bpf__load(rss_bpf_ctx)) {
         trace_ebpf_rss_load_error(ctx);
+        error_setg(errp, "Unable to load eBPF program");
         goto error;
     }
 
@@ -126,7 +131,7 @@ bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx)
     ctx->map_toeplitz_key = bpf_map__fd(
             rss_bpf_ctx->maps.tap_rss_map_toeplitz_key);
 
-    if (!ebpf_rss_mmap(ctx)) {
+    if (!ebpf_rss_mmap(ctx, errp)) {
         goto error;
     }
 
@@ -143,13 +148,28 @@ error:
 }
 
 bool ebpf_rss_load_fds(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, int program_fd,
-                       int config_fd, int toeplitz_fd, int table_fd)
+                       int config_fd, int toeplitz_fd, int table_fd,
+                       Error **errp)
 {
     if (ebpf_rss_is_loaded(ctx)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF program is already loaded");
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (program_fd < 0 || config_fd < 0 || toeplitz_fd < 0 || table_fd < 0) {
+    if (program_fd < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF program FD is not open");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (config_fd < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF config FD is not open");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (toeplitz_fd < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF toeplitz FD is not open");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (table_fd < 0) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF indirection FD is not open");
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -158,7 +178,7 @@ bool ebpf_rss_load_fds(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, int program_fd,
     ctx->map_toeplitz_key = toeplitz_fd;
     ctx->map_indirections_table = table_fd;
 
-    if (!ebpf_rss_mmap(ctx)) {
+    if (!ebpf_rss_mmap(ctx, errp)) {
         ctx->program_fd = -1;
         ctx->map_configuration = -1;
         ctx->map_toeplitz_key = -1;
@@ -177,11 +197,14 @@ static void ebpf_rss_set_config(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx,
 
 static bool ebpf_rss_set_indirections_table(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx,
                                             uint16_t *indirections_table,
-                                            size_t len)
+                                            size_t len,
+                                            Error **errp)
 {
     char *cursor = ctx->mmap_indirections_table;
 
     if (len > VIRTIO_NET_RSS_MAX_TABLE_LEN) {
+        error_setg(errp, "Indirections table length %zu exceeds limit %d",
+                   len, VIRTIO_NET_RSS_MAX_TABLE_LEN);
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -206,17 +229,31 @@ static void ebpf_rss_set_toepliz_key(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx,
 }
 
 bool ebpf_rss_set_all(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, struct EBPFRSSConfig *config,
-                      uint16_t *indirections_table, uint8_t *toeplitz_key)
+                      uint16_t *indirections_table, uint8_t *toeplitz_key,
+                      Error **errp)
 {
-    if (!ebpf_rss_is_loaded(ctx) || config == NULL ||
-        indirections_table == NULL || toeplitz_key == NULL) {
+    if (!ebpf_rss_is_loaded(ctx)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF program is not loaded");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (config == NULL) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF config table is NULL");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (indirections_table == NULL) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF indirections table is NULL");
+        return false;
+    }
+    if (toeplitz_key == NULL) {
+        error_setg(errp, "eBPF toeplitz key is NULL");
         return false;
     }
 
     ebpf_rss_set_config(ctx, config);
 
     if (!ebpf_rss_set_indirections_table(ctx, indirections_table,
-                                      config->indirections_len)) {
+                                         config->indirections_len,
+                                         errp)) {
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/ebpf/ebpf_rss.h b/ebpf/ebpf_rss.h
index 239242b0d2..86a5787789 100644
--- a/ebpf/ebpf_rss.h
+++ b/ebpf/ebpf_rss.h
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 #ifndef QEMU_EBPF_RSS_H
 #define QEMU_EBPF_RSS_H
 
+#include "qapi/error.h"
+
 #define EBPF_RSS_MAX_FDS 4
 
 struct EBPFRSSContext {
@@ -41,13 +43,15 @@ void ebpf_rss_init(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx);
 
 bool ebpf_rss_is_loaded(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx);
 
-bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx);
+bool ebpf_rss_load(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, Error **errp);
 
 bool ebpf_rss_load_fds(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, int program_fd,
-                       int config_fd, int toeplitz_fd, int table_fd);
+                       int config_fd, int toeplitz_fd, int table_fd,
+                       Error **errp);
 
 bool ebpf_rss_set_all(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx, struct EBPFRSSConfig *config,
-                      uint16_t *indirections_table, uint8_t *toeplitz_key);
+                      uint16_t *indirections_table, uint8_t *toeplitz_key,
+                      Error **errp);
 
 void ebpf_rss_unload(struct EBPFRSSContext *ctx);
 
diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index 7c050246ea..289fba8152 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -1265,7 +1265,8 @@ static bool virtio_net_attach_ebpf_rss(VirtIONet *n)
     rss_data_to_rss_config(&n->rss_data, &config);
 
     if (!ebpf_rss_set_all(&n->ebpf_rss, &config,
-                          n->rss_data.indirections_table, n->rss_data.key)) {
+                          n->rss_data.indirections_table, n->rss_data.key,
+                          NULL)) {
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -1336,7 +1337,7 @@ static bool virtio_net_load_ebpf_fds(VirtIONet *n)
         }
     }
 
-    ret = ebpf_rss_load_fds(&n->ebpf_rss, fds[0], fds[1], fds[2], fds[3]);
+    ret = ebpf_rss_load_fds(&n->ebpf_rss, fds[0], fds[1], fds[2], fds[3], NULL);
 
 exit:
     if (!ret) {
@@ -1354,7 +1355,7 @@ static bool virtio_net_load_ebpf(VirtIONet *n)
 
     if (virtio_net_attach_ebpf_to_backend(n->nic, -1)) {
         if (!(n->ebpf_rss_fds && virtio_net_load_ebpf_fds(n))) {
-            ret = ebpf_rss_load(&n->ebpf_rss);
+            ret = ebpf_rss_load(&n->ebpf_rss, NULL);
         }
     }