diff --git a/init/init.cpp b/init/init.cpp
index 1f3c2fc..0615d44 100644
--- a/init/init.cpp
+++ b/init/init.cpp
@@ -280,13 +280,13 @@
     return control_message_functions;
 }
 
-void HandleControlMessage(const std::string& msg, const std::string& name, pid_t pid) {
+bool HandleControlMessage(const std::string& msg, const std::string& name, pid_t pid) {
     const auto& map = get_control_message_map();
     const auto it = map.find(msg);
 
     if (it == map.end()) {
         LOG(ERROR) << "Unknown control msg '" << msg << "'";
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     std::string cmdline_path = StringPrintf("proc/%d/cmdline", pid);
@@ -315,17 +315,19 @@
         default:
             LOG(ERROR) << "Invalid function target from static map key '" << msg << "': "
                        << static_cast<std::underlying_type<ControlTarget>::type>(function.target);
-            return;
+            return false;
     }
 
     if (svc == nullptr) {
         LOG(ERROR) << "Could not find '" << name << "' for ctl." << msg;
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     if (auto result = function.action(svc); !result) {
         LOG(ERROR) << "Could not ctl." << msg << " for '" << name << "': " << result.error();
+        return false;
     }
+    return true;
 }
 
 static Result<Success> wait_for_coldboot_done_action(const BuiltinArguments& args) {
diff --git a/init/init.h b/init/init.h
index a76da20..90ead0e 100644
--- a/init/init.h
+++ b/init/init.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 Parser CreateParser(ActionManager& action_manager, ServiceList& service_list);
 Parser CreateServiceOnlyParser(ServiceList& service_list);
 
-void HandleControlMessage(const std::string& msg, const std::string& arg, pid_t pid);
+bool HandleControlMessage(const std::string& msg, const std::string& arg, pid_t pid);
 
 void property_changed(const std::string& name, const std::string& value);
 
diff --git a/init/property_service.cpp b/init/property_service.cpp
index 14e83f2..ab5dd61 100644
--- a/init/property_service.cpp
+++ b/init/property_service.cpp
@@ -473,8 +473,9 @@
     }
 
     if (StartsWith(name, "ctl.")) {
-        HandleControlMessage(name.c_str() + 4, value, cr.pid);
-        return PROP_SUCCESS;
+        return HandleControlMessage(name.c_str() + 4, value, cr.pid)
+                       ? PROP_SUCCESS
+                       : PROP_ERROR_HANDLE_CONTROL_MESSAGE;
     }
 
     // sys.powerctl is a special property that is used to make the device reboot.  We want to log