diff --git a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
index 2ca173aa46..11922c0f96 100644
--- a/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
+++ b/hw/block/pflash_cfi01.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "sysemu/block-backend.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
+#include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/bitops.h"
 #include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/host-utils.h"
@@ -389,13 +390,18 @@ static void pflash_update(PFlashCFI01 *pfl, int offset,
                           int size)
 {
     int offset_end;
+    int ret;
     if (pfl->blk) {
         offset_end = offset + size;
         /* widen to sector boundaries */
         offset = QEMU_ALIGN_DOWN(offset, BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE);
         offset_end = QEMU_ALIGN_UP(offset_end, BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE);
-        blk_pwrite(pfl->blk, offset, pfl->storage + offset,
+        ret = blk_pwrite(pfl->blk, offset, pfl->storage + offset,
                    offset_end - offset, 0);
+        if (ret < 0) {
+            /* TODO set error bit in status */
+            error_report("Could not update PFLASH: %s", strerror(-ret));
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c b/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c
index c277b0309d..ac7e34ecbf 100644
--- a/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c
+++ b/hw/block/pflash_cfi02.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "hw/block/flash.h"
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
+#include "qemu/error-report.h"
 #include "qemu/bitmap.h"
 #include "qemu/timer.h"
 #include "sysemu/block-backend.h"
@@ -393,13 +394,18 @@ static uint64_t pflash_read(void *opaque, hwaddr offset, unsigned int width)
 static void pflash_update(PFlashCFI02 *pfl, int offset, int size)
 {
     int offset_end;
+    int ret;
     if (pfl->blk) {
         offset_end = offset + size;
         /* widen to sector boundaries */
         offset = QEMU_ALIGN_DOWN(offset, BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE);
         offset_end = QEMU_ALIGN_UP(offset_end, BDRV_SECTOR_SIZE);
-        blk_pwrite(pfl->blk, offset, pfl->storage + offset,
+        ret = blk_pwrite(pfl->blk, offset, pfl->storage + offset,
                    offset_end - offset, 0);
+        if (ret < 0) {
+            /* TODO set error bit in status */
+            error_report("Could not update PFLASH: %s", strerror(-ret));
+        }
     }
 }