diff --git a/hw/intc/sifive_plic.c b/hw/intc/sifive_plic.c
index c9af94a888..9cb4c6d6d4 100644
--- a/hw/intc/sifive_plic.c
+++ b/hw/intc/sifive_plic.c
@@ -379,7 +379,8 @@ static void sifive_plic_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     s->m_external_irqs = g_malloc(sizeof(qemu_irq) * s->num_harts);
     qdev_init_gpio_out(dev, s->m_external_irqs, s->num_harts);
 
-    /* We can't allow the supervisor to control SEIP as this would allow the
+    /*
+     * We can't allow the supervisor to control SEIP as this would allow the
      * supervisor to clear a pending external interrupt which will result in
      * lost a interrupt in the case a PLIC is attached. The SEIP bit must be
      * hardware controlled when a PLIC is attached.
@@ -387,8 +388,8 @@ static void sifive_plic_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     for (i = 0; i < s->num_harts; i++) {
         RISCVCPU *cpu = RISCV_CPU(qemu_get_cpu(s->hartid_base + i));
         if (riscv_cpu_claim_interrupts(cpu, MIP_SEIP) < 0) {
-            error_report("SEIP already claimed");
-            exit(1);
+            error_setg(errp, "SEIP already claimed");
+            return;
         }
     }