diff --git a/hw/qdev.c b/hw/qdev.c
index 0612dc0ba5..5ca126b49f 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/qdev.c
@@ -799,15 +799,15 @@ int do_device_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
     return 0;
 }
 
-void do_device_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict)
+int do_device_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
 {
     const char *id = qdict_get_str(qdict, "id");
     DeviceState *dev;
 
     dev = qdev_find_recursive(main_system_bus, id);
     if (NULL == dev) {
-        error_report("Device '%s' not found", id);
-        return;
+        qerror_report(QERR_DEVICE_NOT_FOUND, id);
+        return -1;
     }
-    qdev_unplug(dev);
+    return qdev_unplug(dev);
 }
diff --git a/hw/qdev.h b/hw/qdev.h
index 9475705b7b..40373c856d 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.h
+++ b/hw/qdev.h
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ void qbus_free(BusState *bus);
 void do_info_qtree(Monitor *mon);
 void do_info_qdm(Monitor *mon);
 int do_device_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data);
-void do_device_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
+int do_device_del(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data);
 
 /*** qdev-properties.c ***/
 
diff --git a/qemu-monitor.hx b/qemu-monitor.hx
index 5308f364e7..d290b4b57f 100644
--- a/qemu-monitor.hx
+++ b/qemu-monitor.hx
@@ -589,7 +589,8 @@ ETEXI
         .args_type  = "id:s",
         .params     = "device",
         .help       = "remove device",
-        .mhandler.cmd = do_device_del,
+        .user_print = monitor_user_noop,
+        .mhandler.cmd_new = do_device_del,
     },
 
 STEXI