diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/AbstractCreateDataBackgroundCmd.java b/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/AbstractCreateDataBackgroundCmd.java
index 02b3147e43..51fcdd5ae2 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/AbstractCreateDataBackgroundCmd.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/AbstractCreateDataBackgroundCmd.java
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractCreateDataBackgroundCmd<T extends AbstractCreateDa
 				return false;
 			}
 
-			boolean didCreate = createData();
+			boolean dataWasCreated = createData();
 
 			boolean success = true;
 
@@ -182,9 +182,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractCreateDataBackgroundCmd<T extends AbstractCreateDa
 				success = false;
 			}
 
-			// If following data when applying, create any data referred to by the data just created.
-			if (didCreate && applyOptions.shouldFollowData() && !createAssociatedData()) {
-				success = false;
+			// If data type didn't exist (was created) and following data when applying,
+			if (dataWasCreated && applyOptions.shouldFollowData()) {
+				// create any data referred to by the data just created
+				success = createAssociatedData();
 			}
 			setStatusMsg(getName() + " completed successfully!");
 			return success;
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractCreateDataBackgroundCmd<T extends AbstractCreateDa
 	 * Creates data at this command's address using the data type obtained from the model.
 	 * <br>If you need to create data other than by using the data type returned from getDataType(),
 	 * you should override this method.
-	 * @return true if had to create, false otherwise
+	 * @return false if the data type was not created because it already exists, true otherwise
 	 * @throws CodeUnitInsertionException if the data can't be created.
 	 * @throws CancelledException if the user cancels this task.
 	 */
diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateTypeDescriptorBackgroundCmd.java b/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateTypeDescriptorBackgroundCmd.java
index 55ad6b8b16..89eb5b74a1 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateTypeDescriptorBackgroundCmd.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/MicrosoftCodeAnalyzer/src/main/java/ghidra/app/cmd/data/CreateTypeDescriptorBackgroundCmd.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import ghidra.program.model.address.Address;
 import ghidra.program.model.data.*;
 import ghidra.program.model.listing.*;
 import ghidra.program.model.util.CodeUnitInsertionException;
-import ghidra.util.Msg;
 import ghidra.util.exception.CancelledException;
 import ghidra.util.exception.InvalidInputException;
 
@@ -90,13 +89,15 @@ public class CreateTypeDescriptorBackgroundCmd
 	 * as its last component ( char[0]  name ).  The string data associated with this flexible char array will
 	 * be applied as a sized character array immediately following the structure whose size does not include
 	 * the char array bytes.
-	 * @return true if the data type needed to be created
+	 * @return false if the data type was not created because it already exists, true otherwise
 	 * @throws CodeUnitInsertionException
 	 * @throws CancelledException
 	 */
 	@Override
 	protected boolean createData() throws CodeUnitInsertionException, CancelledException {
-		super.createData(); // create the TypeDesciptor structure
+		if (!super.createData()) { // create the TypeDesciptor structure 
+			return false;
+		}
 
 		// Determine the size of the flexible char array storage and create  properly sized array
 		DataType dataType = model.getDataType();
@@ -110,12 +111,7 @@ public class CreateTypeDescriptorBackgroundCmd
 		Data nameData = DataUtilities.createData(program, arrayAddr, charArray,
 			charArray.getLength(), false, getClearDataMode());
 
-		if (nameData != null) {
-			nameData.setComment(CodeUnit.EOL_COMMENT, "TypeDescriptor.name");
-		}
-		else {
-			Msg.error(this, "Failed to create TypeDescriptor name at " + arrayAddr);
-		}
+		nameData.setComment(CodeUnit.EOL_COMMENT, "TypeDescriptor.name");
 
 		return true;
 	}