diff --git a/libs/libvirtualization_jni/Android.bp b/libs/libvirtualization_jni/Android.bp
index 4a569d4..9dc86b0 100644
--- a/libs/libvirtualization_jni/Android.bp
+++ b/libs/libvirtualization_jni/Android.bp
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
         "liblog",
         "libnativehelper",
     ],
-    static_libs: ["libavf_cc_flags"],
+    static_libs: [
+        "libavf_cc_flags",
+        "libvmclient.ffi",
+    ],
 }
 
 cc_library_shared {
diff --git a/libs/libvirtualization_jni/android_system_virtualmachine_VirtualizationService.cpp b/libs/libvirtualization_jni/android_system_virtualmachine_VirtualizationService.cpp
index 0538c9e..f0c9b4f 100644
--- a/libs/libvirtualization_jni/android_system_virtualmachine_VirtualizationService.cpp
+++ b/libs/libvirtualization_jni/android_system_virtualmachine_VirtualizationService.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <android-base/unique_fd.h>
 #include <android/avf_cc_flags.h>
 #include <android/binder_ibinder_jni.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <jni.h>
 #include <log/log.h>
 #include <poll.h>
@@ -29,57 +30,25 @@
 
 using namespace android::base;
 
-static constexpr const char VIRTMGR_PATH[] = "/apex/com.android.virt/bin/virtmgr";
 static constexpr size_t VIRTMGR_THREADS = 2;
 
+void error_callback(int code, const char* msg, void* ctx) {
+    JNIEnv* env = reinterpret_cast<JNIEnv*>(ctx);
+    if (code == EPERM || code == EACCES) {
+        env->ThrowNew(env->FindClass("java/lang/SecurityException"),
+                      "Virtmgr didn't send any data through pipe. Please consider checking if "
+                      "android.permission.MANAGE_VIRTUAL_MACHINE permission is granted");
+        return;
+    }
+    env->ThrowNew(env->FindClass("android/system/virtualmachine/VirtualMachineException"), msg);
+}
+
+extern "C" int get_virtualization_service(decltype(error_callback)*, void*);
+
 extern "C" JNIEXPORT jint JNICALL
 Java_android_system_virtualmachine_VirtualizationService_nativeSpawn(
         JNIEnv* env, [[maybe_unused]] jclass clazz) {
-    unique_fd serverFd, clientFd;
-    if (!Socketpair(SOCK_STREAM, &serverFd, &clientFd)) {
-        env->ThrowNew(env->FindClass("android/system/virtualmachine/VirtualMachineException"),
-                      ("Failed to create socketpair: " + std::string(strerror(errno))).c_str());
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    unique_fd waitFd, readyFd;
-    if (!Pipe(&waitFd, &readyFd, 0)) {
-        env->ThrowNew(env->FindClass("android/system/virtualmachine/VirtualMachineException"),
-                      ("Failed to create pipe: " + std::string(strerror(errno))).c_str());
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (fork() == 0) {
-        // Close client's FDs.
-        clientFd.reset();
-        waitFd.reset();
-
-        auto strServerFd = std::to_string(serverFd.get());
-        auto strReadyFd = std::to_string(readyFd.get());
-
-        execl(VIRTMGR_PATH, VIRTMGR_PATH, "--rpc-server-fd", strServerFd.c_str(), "--ready-fd",
-              strReadyFd.c_str(), NULL);
-    }
-
-    // Close virtmgr's FDs.
-    serverFd.reset();
-    readyFd.reset();
-
-    // Wait for the server to signal its readiness by closing its end of the pipe.
-    char buf;
-    int ret = read(waitFd.get(), &buf, sizeof(buf));
-    if (ret < 0) {
-        env->ThrowNew(env->FindClass("android/system/virtualmachine/VirtualMachineException"),
-                      "Failed to wait for VirtualizationService to be ready");
-        return -1;
-    } else if (ret < 1) {
-        env->ThrowNew(env->FindClass("java/lang/SecurityException"),
-                      "Virtmgr didn't send any data through pipe. Please consider checking if "
-                      "android.permission.MANAGE_VIRTUAL_MACHINE permission is granted");
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return clientFd.release();
+    return get_virtualization_service(error_callback, env);
 }
 
 extern "C" JNIEXPORT jobject JNICALL
diff --git a/libs/libvmclient/Android.bp b/libs/libvmclient/Android.bp
index 9fdeaf8..5bd59da 100644
--- a/libs/libvmclient/Android.bp
+++ b/libs/libvmclient/Android.bp
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
     default_applicable_licenses: ["Android-Apache-2.0"],
 }
 
-rust_library {
-    name: "libvmclient",
+rust_defaults {
+    name: "libvmclient.default",
     crate_name: "vmclient",
     defaults: ["avf_build_flags_rust"],
     srcs: ["src/lib.rs"],
@@ -25,3 +25,13 @@
         "com.android.virt",
     ],
 }
+
+rust_library {
+    name: "libvmclient",
+    defaults: ["libvmclient.default"],
+}
+
+rust_ffi_static {
+    name: "libvmclient.ffi",
+    defaults: ["libvmclient.default"],
+}
diff --git a/libs/libvmclient/src/lib.rs b/libs/libvmclient/src/lib.rs
index 7b576e6..bc9d683 100644
--- a/libs/libvmclient/src/lib.rs
+++ b/libs/libvmclient/src/lib.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@
 use log::warn;
 use rpcbinder::{FileDescriptorTransportMode, RpcSession};
 use shared_child::SharedChild;
+use std::ffi::{c_char, c_int, c_void, CString};
 use std::io::{self, Read};
+use std::os::fd::RawFd;
 use std::process::Command;
 use std::{
     fmt::{self, Debug, Formatter},
@@ -74,6 +76,40 @@
     Ok(socketpair(AddressFamily::Unix, SockType::Stream, None, SockFlag::SOCK_CLOEXEC)?)
 }
 
+/// Error handling function for `get_virtualization_service`.
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// `message` shouldn't be used outside of the lifetime of the function. Management of `ctx` is
+/// entirely up to the function.
+pub type ErrorCallback =
+    unsafe extern "C" fn(code: c_int, message: *const c_char, ctx: *mut c_void);
+
+/// Spawns a new instance of virtmgr and rerturns a file descriptor for the socket connection to
+/// the service. When error occurs, it is reported via the ErrorCallback function along with the
+/// error message and any context that is set by the client.
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// `cb` should be null or a valid function pointer of type `ErrorCallback`
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn get_virtualization_service(
+    cb: Option<ErrorCallback>,
+    ctx: *mut c_void,
+) -> RawFd {
+    match VirtualizationService::new() {
+        Ok(vs) => vs.client_fd.into_raw_fd(),
+        Err(e) => {
+            if let Some(cb) = cb {
+                let code = e.raw_os_error().unwrap_or(-1);
+                let msg = CString::new(e.to_string()).unwrap();
+                // SAFETY: `cb` doesn't use `msg` outside of the lifetime of the function.
+                // msg's lifetime is longer than `cb` as it is bound to a local variable.
+                unsafe { cb(code, msg.as_ptr(), ctx) };
+            }
+            -1
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// A running instance of virtmgr which is hosting a VirtualizationService
 /// RpcBinder server.
 pub struct VirtualizationService {
@@ -97,10 +133,11 @@
 
         SharedChild::spawn(&mut command)?;
 
-        // Wait for the child to signal that the RpcBinder server is ready
-        // by closing its end of the pipe.
-        let _ignored = File::from(wait_fd).read(&mut [0]);
-
+        // Wait for the child to signal that the RpcBinder server is read by closing its end of the
+        // pipe. Failing to read (especially EACCESS or EPERM) can happen if the client lacks the
+        // MANAGE_VIRTUAL_MACHINE permission. Therefore, such errors are propagated instead of
+        // being ignored.
+        let _ = File::from(wait_fd).read(&mut [0])?;
         Ok(VirtualizationService { client_fd })
     }