diff --git a/src/disk/hdd_image.c b/src/disk/hdd_image.c
index 7c2618969..8b0949c9b 100644
--- a/src/disk/hdd_image.c
+++ b/src/disk/hdd_image.c
@@ -184,6 +184,9 @@ hdd_image_calc_chs(uint32_t *c, uint32_t *h, uint32_t *s, uint32_t size)
 static int
 prepare_new_hard_disk(uint8_t id, uint64_t full_size)
 {
+    if (!hdd_images[id].file)
+        return -1;
+
     uint64_t target_size = (full_size + hdd_images[id].base) - ftello64(hdd_images[id].file);
 
 #ifndef __unix__
@@ -390,7 +393,8 @@ retry_vhd:
         } else {
             /* Failed for another reason */
             hdd_image_log("Failed for another reason\n");
-            return 0;
+            hdd_images[id].type = HDD_IMAGE_RAW;
+            return 1;
         }
     } else {
         if (image_is_hdi(fn)) {
@@ -500,7 +504,7 @@ retry_vhd:
     return ret;
 }
 
-void
+int
 hdd_image_seek(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector)
 {
     off64_t addr = sector;
@@ -508,12 +512,16 @@ hdd_image_seek(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector)
 
     hdd_images[id].pos = sector;
     if (hdd_images[id].type != HDD_IMAGE_VHD) {
-        if (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, addr + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1)
-            fatal("hdd_image_seek(): Error seeking\n");
+        if (!hdd_images[id].file || (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, addr + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1)) {
+            hdd_image_log("hdd_image_seek(): Error seeking\n");
+            return -1;
+        }
     }
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
-void
+int
 hdd_image_read(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer)
 {
     int    non_transferred_sectors;
@@ -523,14 +531,18 @@ hdd_image_read(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer)
         non_transferred_sectors = mvhd_read_sectors(hdd_images[id].vhd, sector, count, buffer);
         hdd_images[id].pos      = sector + count - non_transferred_sectors - 1;
     } else {
-        if (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, ((uint64_t) (sector) << 9LL) + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1) {
-            fatal("Hard disk image %i: Read error during seek\n", id);
-            return;
+        if (!hdd_images[id].file || (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, ((uint64_t) (sector) << 9LL) + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1)) {
+            hdd_image_log("Hard disk image %i: Read error during seek\n", id);
+            return -1;
         }
 
         num_read           = fread(buffer, 512, count, hdd_images[id].file);
+        if (count && !num_read)
+            return -1;
         hdd_images[id].pos = sector + num_read;
     }
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
 uint32_t
@@ -554,14 +566,15 @@ hdd_image_read_ex(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer)
     if ((sectors - sector) < transfer_sectors)
         transfer_sectors = sectors - sector;
 
-    hdd_image_read(id, sector, transfer_sectors, buffer);
+    if (hdd_image_read(id, sector, transfer_sectors, buffer) < 0)
+        return -1;
 
     if (count != transfer_sectors)
         return 1;
     return 0;
 }
 
-void
+int
 hdd_image_write(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer)
 {
     int    non_transferred_sectors;
@@ -571,15 +584,19 @@ hdd_image_write(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer)
         non_transferred_sectors = mvhd_write_sectors(hdd_images[id].vhd, sector, count, buffer);
         hdd_images[id].pos      = sector + count - non_transferred_sectors - 1;
     } else {
-        if (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, ((uint64_t) (sector) << 9LL) + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1) {
-            fatal("Hard disk image %i: Write error during seek\n", id);
-            return;
+        if (!hdd_images[id].file || (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, ((uint64_t) (sector) << 9LL) + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1)) {
+            hdd_image_log("Hard disk image %i: Write error during seek\n", id);
+            return -1;
         }
 
         num_write          = fwrite(buffer, 512, count, hdd_images[id].file);
+        if (count && !num_write)
+            return -1;
         fflush(hdd_images[id].file);
         hdd_images[id].pos = sector + num_write;
     }
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
 int
@@ -591,14 +608,15 @@ hdd_image_write_ex(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer)
     if ((sectors - sector) < transfer_sectors)
         transfer_sectors = sectors - sector;
 
-    hdd_image_write(id, sector, transfer_sectors, buffer);
+    if (hdd_image_write(id, sector, transfer_sectors, buffer) < 0)
+        return -1;
 
     if (count != transfer_sectors)
         return 1;
     return 0;
 }
 
-void
+int
 hdd_image_zero(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count)
 {
     if (hdd_images[id].type == HDD_IMAGE_VHD) {
@@ -607,9 +625,9 @@ hdd_image_zero(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count)
     } else {
         memset(empty_sector, 0, 512);
 
-        if (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, ((uint64_t) (sector) << 9LL) + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1) {
-            fatal("Hard disk image %i: Zero error during seek\n", id);
-            return;
+        if (!hdd_images[id].file || (fseeko64(hdd_images[id].file, ((uint64_t) (sector) << 9LL) + hdd_images[id].base, SEEK_SET) == -1)) {
+            hdd_image_log("Hard disk image %i: Zero error during seek\n", id);
+            return -1;
         }
 
         for (uint32_t i = 0; i < count; i++) {
@@ -617,11 +635,14 @@ hdd_image_zero(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count)
                 break;
 
             hdd_images[id].pos = sector + i;
-            fwrite(empty_sector, 512, 1, hdd_images[id].file);
+            if (!fwrite(empty_sector, 512, 1, hdd_images[id].file))
+                return -1;
         }
 
         fflush(hdd_images[id].file);
     }
+
+    return 0;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/src/include/86box/hdd.h b/src/include/86box/hdd.h
index 89a6cf1ff..25c32355e 100644
--- a/src/include/86box/hdd.h
+++ b/src/include/86box/hdd.h
@@ -197,12 +197,12 @@ extern int   hdd_is_valid(int c);
 
 extern void     hdd_image_init(void);
 extern int      hdd_image_load(int id);
-extern void     hdd_image_seek(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector);
-extern void     hdd_image_read(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer);
+extern int      hdd_image_seek(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector);
+extern int      hdd_image_read(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer);
 extern int      hdd_image_read_ex(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer);
-extern void     hdd_image_write(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer);
+extern int      hdd_image_write(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer);
 extern int      hdd_image_write_ex(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count, uint8_t *buffer);
-extern void     hdd_image_zero(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count);
+extern int      hdd_image_zero(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count);
 extern int      hdd_image_zero_ex(uint8_t id, uint32_t sector, uint32_t count);
 extern uint32_t hdd_image_get_last_sector(uint8_t id);
 extern uint32_t hdd_image_get_pos(uint8_t id);