diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/device.rs b/virtio-devices/src/device.rs
index 89e1ee2ea..84f064259 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/device.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/device.rs
@@ -293,9 +293,13 @@ impl VirtioCommon {
     pub fn reset(&mut self) -> Option<Arc<dyn VirtioInterrupt>> {
         self.queue_evts.clear();
 
-        // We first must resume the virtio thread if it was paused.
-        if self.pause_evt.take().is_some() {
-            self.resume().ok()?;
+        // Resume the virtio thread if it was paused. Reset must always
+        // converge to fresh state, so a resume failure is logged but doesn't
+        // skip the rest of the teardown.
+        if self.pause_evt.take().is_some()
+            && let Err(e) = self.resume()
+        {
+            error!("Failed to resume paused device during reset: {e:?}");
         }
 
         if let Some(kill_evt) = self.kill_evt.take() {
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vdpa.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vdpa.rs
index f9bf7a39d..e1cf48d9a 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vdpa.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vdpa.rs
@@ -451,9 +451,10 @@ impl VirtioDevice for Vdpa {
     }
 
     fn reset(&mut self) -> Option<Arc<dyn VirtioInterrupt>> {
+        // Backend reset failures are logged but don't skip local cleanup:
+        // reset must converge to fresh state regardless of backend state.
         if let Err(e) = self.reset_vdpa() {
             error!("Failed to reset vhost-vdpa: {e:?}");
-            return None;
         }
 
         event!("vdpa", "reset", "id", &self.id);
diff --git a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
index 9f2eea423..07c8d4555 100644
--- a/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
+++ b/virtio-devices/src/vhost_user/mod.rs
@@ -429,9 +429,13 @@ impl VhostUserCommon {
     }
 
     pub fn reset(&mut self, id: &str) -> Option<Arc<dyn VirtioInterrupt>> {
-        // We first must resume the virtio thread if it was paused.
-        if self.virtio_common.pause_evt.take().is_some() {
-            self.virtio_common.resume().ok()?;
+        // Resume the virtio thread if it was paused. Reset must always
+        // converge to fresh state, so backend resume / reset failures are
+        // logged but don't skip the rest of the teardown.
+        if self.virtio_common.pause_evt.take().is_some()
+            && let Err(e) = self.virtio_common.resume()
+        {
+            error!("Failed to resume paused device during reset: {e:?}");
         }
 
         if let Some(vu) = &self.vu
@@ -441,7 +445,6 @@ impl VhostUserCommon {
                 "Failed to reset vhost-user daemon for socket {}: {e:?}",
                 self.socket_path
             );
-            return None;
         }
 
         if let Some(kill_evt) = self.virtio_common.kill_evt.take() {