diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/balloon.rs b/virtio-devices/src/balloon.rs
index 8b40a2f1a..cb1a37ba5 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/balloon.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/balloon.rs
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Balloon {
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let mut virtqueues = Vec::new();
         let (_, queue, queue_evt) = queues.remove(0);
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/block.rs b/virtio-devices/src/block.rs
index bbc031bdb..e01eb7ec2 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/block.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/block.rs
@@ -1104,7 +1104,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Block {
             queue.set_event_idx(event_idx);
 
             let queue_size = queue.size();
-            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
             let queue_idx = i as u16;
 
             let mut handler = BlockEpollHandler {
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/console.rs b/virtio-devices/src/console.rs
index 53e3f02ad..567ba6a71 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/console.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/console.rs
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Console {
             error!("Failed to signal console driver: {e:?}");
         }
 
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let (_, input_queue, input_queue_evt) = queues.remove(0);
         let (_, output_queue, output_queue_evt) = queues.remove(0);
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/device.rs b/virtio-devices/src/device.rs
index 9e5dfb138..c81d47fe4 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/device.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/device.rs
@@ -427,16 +427,21 @@ impl VirtioCommon {
         self.workers = None;
     }
 
-    pub fn dup_eventfds(&self) -> (EventFd, EventFd) {
-        (
-            self.workers
-                .as_ref()
-                .unwrap()
-                .kill_evt()
-                .try_clone()
-                .unwrap(),
-            self.pause_evt.as_ref().unwrap().try_clone().unwrap(),
-        )
+    pub fn dup_eventfds(&self) -> Result<(EventFd, EventFd), ActivateError> {
+        let kill_evt = self
+            .workers
+            .as_ref()
+            .ok_or(ActivateError::BadActivate)?
+            .kill_evt()
+            .try_clone()
+            .map_err(ActivateError::CloneEventFd)?;
+        let pause_evt = self
+            .pause_evt
+            .as_ref()
+            .ok_or(ActivateError::BadActivate)?
+            .try_clone()
+            .map_err(ActivateError::CloneEventFd)?;
+        Ok((kill_evt, pause_evt))
     }
 
     pub fn set_access_platform(&mut self, access_platform: Arc<dyn AccessPlatform>) {
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/iommu.rs b/virtio-devices/src/iommu.rs
index 191d823cf..7f04f51e9 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/iommu.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/iommu.rs
@@ -1301,7 +1301,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Iommu {
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let (_, request_queue, request_queue_evt) = queues.remove(0);
         let (_, _event_queue, _event_queue_evt) = queues.remove(0);
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/lib.rs b/virtio-devices/src/lib.rs
index 7c6ebeecd..d0d2d659f 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/lib.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/lib.rs
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ const VIRTIO_F_NOTIFICATION_DATA: u32 = 38;
 pub enum ActivateError {
     #[error("Failed to activate virtio device")]
     BadActivate,
-    #[error("Failed to clone exit event fd")]
-    CloneExitEventFd(#[source] std::io::Error),
+    #[error("Failed to clone EventFd")]
+    CloneEventFd(#[source] std::io::Error),
     #[error("Failed to spawn thread")]
     ThreadSpawn(#[source] std::io::Error),
     #[error("Failed to setup vhost-user-fs daemon")]
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/mem.rs b/virtio-devices/src/mem.rs
index 10cb7ee48..ca12a2e4b 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/mem.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/mem.rs
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Mem {
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let (_, queue, queue_evt) = queues.remove(0);
 
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/net.rs b/virtio-devices/src/net.rs
index 5207f0564..c26fba41c 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/net.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/net.rs
@@ -691,7 +691,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Net {
 
             ctrl_queue.set_event_idx(event_idx);
 
-            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
             let mut ctrl_handler = NetCtrlEpollHandler {
                 mem: mem.clone(),
                 kill_evt,
@@ -732,7 +732,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Net {
 
             let queue_evt_pair = (queue_evt_0, queue_evt_1);
 
-            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
             let rx_rate_limiter: Option<rate_limiter::RateLimiter> = self
                 .rate_limiter_config
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/pmem.rs b/virtio-devices/src/pmem.rs
index 790512f83..9f3b58099 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/pmem.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/pmem.rs
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Pmem {
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
         if let Some(disk) = self.disk.as_ref() {
             let disk = disk.try_clone().map_err(|e| {
                 error!("failed cloning pmem disk: {e}");
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/rng.rs b/virtio-devices/src/rng.rs
index 792860091..dfc00c39b 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/rng.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/rng.rs
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Rng {
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         if let Some(file) = self.random_file.as_ref() {
             let random_file = file.try_clone().map_err(|e| {
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/rtc.rs b/virtio-devices/src/rtc.rs
index 6c8de79cf..62b56b793 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/rtc.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/rtc.rs
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Rtc {
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let (_, queue, queue_evt) = queues.remove(0);
 
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/thread_helper.rs b/virtio-devices/src/thread_helper.rs
index f89ca9f82..fc8e3ddb9 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/thread_helper.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/thread_helper.rs
@@ -34,9 +34,7 @@ where
     let seccomp_filter = get_seccomp_filter(seccomp_action, thread_type)
         .map_err(ActivateError::CreateSeccompFilter)?;
 
-    let thread_exit_evt = exit_evt
-        .try_clone()
-        .map_err(ActivateError::CloneExitEventFd)?;
+    let thread_exit_evt = exit_evt.try_clone().map_err(ActivateError::CloneEventFd)?;
     let thread_name = name.to_string();
 
     thread::Builder::new()
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/blk.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/blk.rs
index b96c4ed06..ae85a89bf 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/blk.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/blk.rs
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Blk {
 
         // Run a dedicated thread for handling potential reconnections with
         // the backend.
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let mut handler = self.vu_common.activate(
             mem,
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/fs.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/fs.rs
index d491cc92f..e501e54e8 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/fs.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/fs.rs
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Fs {
         let backend_req_handler: Option<FrontendReqHandler<BackendReqHandler>> = None;
         // Run a dedicated thread for handling potential reconnections with
         // the backend.
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let mut handler = self.vu_common.activate(
             mem,
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/generic_vhost_user.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/generic_vhost_user.rs
index 51a6d2627..ca744f574 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/generic_vhost_user.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/generic_vhost_user.rs
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for GenericVhostUser {
 
         // Run a dedicated thread for handling potential reconnections with
         // the backend.
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let mut handler = self.vu_common.activate(
             mem,
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs
index 17f478292..40725b8e1 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/net.rs
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Net {
 
             ctrl_queue.set_event_idx(event_idx);
 
-            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds();
+            let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
             let mut ctrl_handler = NetCtrlEpollHandler {
                 mem: mem.clone(),
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Net {
 
         // Run a dedicated thread for handling potential reconnections with
         // the backend.
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.vu_common.virtio_common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let mut handler = self.vu_common.activate(
             mem,
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vsock/device.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vsock/device.rs
index 047a46da6..b3b4bddf8 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vsock/device.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vsock/device.rs
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ where
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let mut virtqueues = Vec::new();
         let mut queue_evts = Vec::new();
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/watchdog.rs b/virtio-devices/src/watchdog.rs
index eef571e51..8c40d4ee2 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/watchdog.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/watchdog.rs
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Watchdog {
             device_status,
         } = context;
         self.common.activate(&queues, interrupt_cb.clone())?;
-        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds();
+        let (kill_evt, pause_evt) = self.common.dup_eventfds()?;
 
         let reset_evt = self.reset_evt.try_clone().map_err(|e| {
             error!("Failed to clone reset_evt eventfd: {e}");