diff --git a/debuggerd/client/debuggerd_client.cpp b/debuggerd/client/debuggerd_client.cpp
index b9fb512..224444f 100644
--- a/debuggerd/client/debuggerd_client.cpp
+++ b/debuggerd/client/debuggerd_client.cpp
@@ -65,24 +65,25 @@
   auto time_left = [timeout_ms, &end]() { return end - std::chrono::steady_clock::now(); };
   auto set_timeout = [timeout_ms, &time_left](int sockfd) {
     if (timeout_ms <= 0) {
-      return true;
+      return -1;
     }
 
     auto remaining = time_left();
     if (remaining < decltype(remaining)::zero()) {
-      return false;
+      LOG(ERROR) << "timeout expired";
+      return -1;
     }
     struct timeval timeout;
     populate_timeval(&timeout, remaining);
 
     if (setsockopt(sockfd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVTIMEO, &timeout, sizeof(timeout)) != 0) {
-      return false;
+      return -1;
     }
     if (setsockopt(sockfd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDTIMEO, &timeout, sizeof(timeout)) != 0) {
-      return false;
+      return -1;
     }
 
-    return true;
+    return sockfd;
   };
 
   sockfd.reset(socket(AF_LOCAL, SOCK_SEQPACKET, 0));
@@ -91,12 +92,7 @@
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (!set_timeout(sockfd)) {
-    PLOG(ERROR) << "libdebugger_client: failed to set timeout";
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  if (socket_local_client_connect(sockfd.get(), kTombstonedInterceptSocketName,
+  if (socket_local_client_connect(set_timeout(sockfd.get()), kTombstonedInterceptSocketName,
                                   ANDROID_SOCKET_NAMESPACE_RESERVED, SOCK_SEQPACKET) == -1) {
     PLOG(ERROR) << "libdebuggerd_client: failed to connect to tombstoned";
     return false;
@@ -115,21 +111,35 @@
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (send_fd(sockfd.get(), &req, sizeof(req), std::move(pipe_write)) != sizeof(req)) {
+  if (send_fd(set_timeout(sockfd), &req, sizeof(req), std::move(pipe_write)) != sizeof(req)) {
     PLOG(ERROR) << "libdebuggerd_client: failed to send output fd to tombstoned";
     return false;
   }
 
+  // Check to make sure we've successfully registered.
+  InterceptResponse response;
+  ssize_t rc =
+      TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(recv(set_timeout(sockfd.get()), &response, sizeof(response), MSG_TRUNC));
+  if (rc == 0) {
+    LOG(ERROR) << "libdebuggerd_client: failed to read response from tombstoned: timeout reached?";
+    return false;
+  } else if (rc != sizeof(response)) {
+    LOG(ERROR)
+        << "libdebuggerd_client: received packet of unexpected length from tombstoned: expected "
+        << sizeof(response) << ", received " << rc;
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (response.status != InterceptStatus::kRegistered) {
+    LOG(ERROR) << "libdebuggerd_client: unexpected registration response: "
+               << static_cast<int>(response.status);
+    return false;
+  }
+
   bool backtrace = dump_type == kDebuggerdBacktrace;
   send_signal(pid, backtrace);
 
-  if (!set_timeout(sockfd)) {
-    PLOG(ERROR) << "libdebuggerd_client: failed to set timeout";
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  InterceptResponse response;
-  ssize_t rc = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(recv(sockfd.get(), &response, sizeof(response), MSG_TRUNC));
+  rc = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(recv(set_timeout(sockfd.get()), &response, sizeof(response), MSG_TRUNC));
   if (rc == 0) {
     LOG(ERROR) << "libdebuggerd_client: failed to read response from tombstoned: timeout reached?";
     return false;
@@ -140,7 +150,7 @@
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (response.success != 1) {
+  if (response.status != InterceptStatus::kStarted) {
     response.error_message[sizeof(response.error_message) - 1] = '\0';
     LOG(ERROR) << "libdebuggerd_client: tombstoned reported failure: " << response.error_message;
     return false;
diff --git a/debuggerd/debuggerd_test.cpp b/debuggerd/debuggerd_test.cpp
index 1a27f3f..410c4ae 100644
--- a/debuggerd/debuggerd_test.cpp
+++ b/debuggerd/debuggerd_test.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,54 @@
     }                                                                           \
   } while (0)
 
+static void tombstoned_intercept(pid_t target_pid, unique_fd* intercept_fd, unique_fd* output_fd) {
+  intercept_fd->reset(socket_local_client(kTombstonedInterceptSocketName,
+                                          ANDROID_SOCKET_NAMESPACE_RESERVED, SOCK_SEQPACKET));
+  if (intercept_fd->get() == -1) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to contact tombstoned: " << strerror(errno);
+  }
+
+  InterceptRequest req = {.pid = target_pid};
+
+  unique_fd output_pipe_write;
+  if (!Pipe(output_fd, &output_pipe_write)) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to create output pipe: " << strerror(errno);
+  }
+
+  std::string pipe_size_str;
+  int pipe_buffer_size;
+  if (!android::base::ReadFileToString("/proc/sys/fs/pipe-max-size", &pipe_size_str)) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to read /proc/sys/fs/pipe-max-size: " << strerror(errno);
+  }
+
+  pipe_size_str = android::base::Trim(pipe_size_str);
+
+  if (!android::base::ParseInt(pipe_size_str.c_str(), &pipe_buffer_size, 0)) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to parse pipe max size";
+  }
+
+  if (fcntl(output_fd->get(), F_SETPIPE_SZ, pipe_buffer_size) != pipe_buffer_size) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to set pipe size: " << strerror(errno);
+  }
+
+  if (send_fd(intercept_fd->get(), &req, sizeof(req), std::move(output_pipe_write)) != sizeof(req)) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to send output fd to tombstoned: " << strerror(errno);
+  }
+
+  InterceptResponse response;
+  ssize_t rc = TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(read(intercept_fd->get(), &response, sizeof(response)));
+  if (rc == -1) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to read response from tombstoned: " << strerror(errno);
+  } else if (rc == 0) {
+    FAIL() << "failed to read response from tombstoned (EOF)";
+  } else if (rc != sizeof(response)) {
+    FAIL() << "received packet of unexpected length from tombstoned: expected " << sizeof(response)
+           << ", received " << rc;
+  }
+
+  ASSERT_EQ(InterceptStatus::kRegistered, response.status);
+}
+
 class CrasherTest : public ::testing::Test {
  public:
   pid_t crasher_pid = -1;
@@ -118,38 +166,7 @@
     FAIL() << "crasher hasn't been started";
   }
 
-  intercept_fd.reset(socket_local_client(kTombstonedInterceptSocketName,
-                                         ANDROID_SOCKET_NAMESPACE_RESERVED, SOCK_SEQPACKET));
-  if (intercept_fd == -1) {
-    FAIL() << "failed to contact tombstoned: " << strerror(errno);
-  }
-
-  InterceptRequest req = {.pid = crasher_pid };
-
-  unique_fd output_pipe_write;
-  if (!Pipe(output_fd, &output_pipe_write)) {
-    FAIL() << "failed to create output pipe: " << strerror(errno);
-  }
-
-  std::string pipe_size_str;
-  int pipe_buffer_size;
-  if (!android::base::ReadFileToString("/proc/sys/fs/pipe-max-size", &pipe_size_str)) {
-    FAIL() << "failed to read /proc/sys/fs/pipe-max-size: " << strerror(errno);
-  }
-
-  pipe_size_str = android::base::Trim(pipe_size_str);
-
-  if (!android::base::ParseInt(pipe_size_str.c_str(), &pipe_buffer_size, 0)) {
-    FAIL() << "failed to parse pipe max size";
-  }
-
-  if (fcntl(output_fd->get(), F_SETPIPE_SZ, pipe_buffer_size) != pipe_buffer_size) {
-    FAIL() << "failed to set pipe size: " << strerror(errno);
-  }
-
-  if (send_fd(intercept_fd.get(), &req, sizeof(req), std::move(output_pipe_write)) != sizeof(req)) {
-    FAIL() << "failed to send output fd to tombstoned: " << strerror(errno);
-  }
+  tombstoned_intercept(crasher_pid, &this->intercept_fd, output_fd);
 }
 
 void CrasherTest::FinishIntercept(int* result) {
@@ -165,7 +182,7 @@
     FAIL() << "received packet of unexpected length from tombstoned: expected " << sizeof(response)
            << ", received " << rc;
   } else {
-    *result = response.success;
+    *result = response.status == InterceptStatus::kStarted ? 1 : 0;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/debuggerd/include/debuggerd/protocol.h b/debuggerd/include/debuggerd/protocol.h
index bb2ab0d..0756876 100644
--- a/debuggerd/include/debuggerd/protocol.h
+++ b/debuggerd/include/debuggerd/protocol.h
@@ -56,8 +56,14 @@
   int32_t pid;
 };
 
+enum class InterceptStatus : uint8_t {
+  kFailed,
+  kStarted,
+  kRegistered,
+};
+
 // Sent either immediately upon failure, or when the intercept has been used.
 struct InterceptResponse {
-  uint8_t success;          // 0 or 1
+  InterceptStatus status;
   char error_message[127];  // always null-terminated
 };
diff --git a/debuggerd/tombstoned/intercept_manager.cpp b/debuggerd/tombstoned/intercept_manager.cpp
index 789260d..dff942c 100644
--- a/debuggerd/tombstoned/intercept_manager.cpp
+++ b/debuggerd/tombstoned/intercept_manager.cpp
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
     // We trust the other side, so only do minimal validity checking.
     if (intercept_request.pid <= 0 || intercept_request.pid > std::numeric_limits<pid_t>::max()) {
       InterceptResponse response = {};
+      response.status = InterceptStatus::kFailed;
       snprintf(response.error_message, sizeof(response.error_message), "invalid pid %" PRId32,
                intercept_request.pid);
       TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(write(sockfd, &response, sizeof(response)));
@@ -113,9 +114,10 @@
 
     intercept->intercept_pid = intercept_request.pid;
 
-    // Register the intercept with the InterceptManager.
+    // Check if it's already registered.
     if (intercept_manager->intercepts.count(intercept_request.pid) > 0) {
       InterceptResponse response = {};
+      response.status = InterceptStatus::kFailed;
       snprintf(response.error_message, sizeof(response.error_message),
                "pid %" PRId32 " already intercepted", intercept_request.pid);
       TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(write(sockfd, &response, sizeof(response)));
@@ -123,6 +125,15 @@
       goto fail;
     }
 
+    // Let the other side know that the intercept has been registered, now that we know we can't
+    // fail. tombstoned is single threaded, so this isn't racy.
+    InterceptResponse response = {};
+    response.status = InterceptStatus::kRegistered;
+    if (TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(write(sockfd, &response, sizeof(response))) == -1) {
+      PLOG(WARNING) << "failed to notify interceptor of registration";
+      goto fail;
+    }
+
     intercept->output_fd = std::move(rcv_fd);
     intercept_manager->intercepts[intercept_request.pid] = std::unique_ptr<Intercept>(intercept);
     intercept->registered = true;
@@ -174,7 +185,7 @@
 
   LOG(INFO) << "found intercept fd " << intercept->output_fd.get() << " for pid " << pid;
   InterceptResponse response = {};
-  response.success = 1;
+  response.status = InterceptStatus::kStarted;
   TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(write(intercept->sockfd, &response, sizeof(response)));
   *out_fd = std::move(intercept->output_fd);