diff --git a/src/persist_read.c b/src/persist_read.c
index f5372e8d..6e82aa6d 100644
--- a/src/persist_read.c
+++ b/src/persist_read.c
@@ -358,8 +358,9 @@ static int persist__retain_chunk_restore(FILE *db_fptr)
 
 	HASH_FIND(hh, db.msg_store, &chunk.F.store_id, sizeof(chunk.F.store_id), base_msg);
 	if(base_msg){
-		if(sub__topic_tokenise(base_msg->data.topic, &local_topic, &split_topics, NULL)){
-			return 1;
+		rc = sub__topic_tokenise(base_msg->data.topic, &local_topic, &split_topics, NULL);
+		if(rc){
+			return rc;
 		}
 		retain__store(base_msg->data.topic, base_msg, split_topics, true);
 		mosquitto_FREE(local_topic);
@@ -471,7 +472,7 @@ int persist__restore(void)
 			}else{
 				fclose(fptr);
 				log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error: Unsupported persistent database format version %d (need version %d).", db_version, MOSQ_DB_VERSION);
-				return 1;
+				return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -479,57 +480,64 @@ int persist__restore(void)
 			switch(chunk){
 				case DB_CHUNK_CFG:
 					if(db_version == 6 || db_version == 5){
-						if(persist__chunk_cfg_read_v56(fptr, &cfg_chunk)){
+						rc = persist__chunk_cfg_read_v56(fptr, &cfg_chunk);
+						if(rc){
 							fclose(fptr);
-							return 1;
+							return rc;
 						}
 					}else{
-						if(persist__chunk_cfg_read_v234(fptr, &cfg_chunk)){
+						rc = persist__chunk_cfg_read_v234(fptr, &cfg_chunk);
+						if(rc){
 							fclose(fptr);
-							return 1;
+							return rc;
 						}
 					}
 					if(cfg_chunk.dbid_size != sizeof(dbid_t)){
 						log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_ERR, "Error: Incompatible database configuration (dbid size is %d bytes, expected %lu)",
 								cfg_chunk.dbid_size, (unsigned long)sizeof(dbid_t));
 						fclose(fptr);
-						return 1;
+						return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
 					}
 					db.last_db_id = cfg_chunk.last_db_id;
 					break;
 
 				case DB_CHUNK_BASE_MSG:
-					if(persist__base_msg_chunk_restore(fptr, length)){
+					rc = persist__base_msg_chunk_restore(fptr, length);
+					if(rc){
 						fclose(fptr);
-						return 1;
+						return rc;
 					}
 					break;
 
 				case DB_CHUNK_CLIENT_MSG:
-					if(persist__client_msg_chunk_restore(fptr, length)){
+					rc = persist__client_msg_chunk_restore(fptr, length);
+					if(rc){
 						fclose(fptr);
-						return 1;
+						return rc;
 					}
 					break;
 
 				case DB_CHUNK_RETAIN:
-					if(persist__retain_chunk_restore(fptr)){
+					rc = persist__retain_chunk_restore(fptr);
+					if(rc){
 						fclose(fptr);
-						return 1;
+						return rc;
 					}
 					break;
 
 				case DB_CHUNK_SUB:
-					if(persist__sub_chunk_restore(fptr)){
+					rc = persist__sub_chunk_restore(fptr);
+					if(rc){
 						fclose(fptr);
-						return 1;
+						return rc;
 					}
 					break;
 
 				case DB_CHUNK_CLIENT:
-					if(persist__client_chunk_restore(fptr)){
+					rc = persist__client_chunk_restore(fptr);
+					if(rc){
 						fclose(fptr);
-						return 1;
+						return rc;
 					}
 					break;
 
@@ -537,7 +545,7 @@ int persist__restore(void)
 					log__printf(NULL, MOSQ_LOG_WARNING, "Warning: Unsupported chunk \"%d\" in persistent database file. Ignoring.", chunk);
 					if(fseek(fptr, length, SEEK_CUR) < 0){
 						fclose(fptr);
-						return 1;
+						return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
 					}
 					break;
 			}
@@ -562,7 +570,7 @@ error:
 	if(fptr){
 		fclose(fptr);
 	}
-	return 1;
+	return MOSQ_ERR_ERRNO;
 }
 
 
@@ -581,7 +589,7 @@ static int persist__restore_sub(const struct mosquitto_subscription *sub)
 
 	context = persist__find_or_add_context(sub->clientid, 0);
 	if(!context){
-		return 1;
+		return MOSQ_ERR_INVAL;
 	}
 	return sub__add(context, sub);
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/broker/persist_read_test.c b/test/unit/broker/persist_read_test.c
index 3bf61c83..04be9637 100644
--- a/test/unit/broker/persist_read_test.c
+++ b/test/unit/broker/persist_read_test.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <CUnit/Basic.h>
 #include "path_helper.h"
 
+#include "mosquitto.h"
 #include "mosquitto_broker_internal.h"
 #include "persist.h"
 #include "property_mosq.h"
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ static void TEST_corrupt_header(void)
 	cat_sourcedir_with_relpath(persistence_filepath, "/files/persist_read/corrupt-header-short.test-db");
 	config.persistence_filepath = persistence_filepath;
 	rc = persist__restore();
-	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, 1);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, MOSQ_ERR_ERRNO);
 
 	cat_sourcedir_with_relpath(persistence_filepath, "/files/persist_read/corrupt-header-long.test-db");
 	config.persistence_filepath = persistence_filepath;
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ static void TEST_unsupported_version(void)
 	config.persistence_filepath = persistence_filepath;
 
 	rc = persist__restore();
-	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, 1);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, MOSQ_ERR_INVAL);
 }
 
 
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ static void TEST_v3_config_truncated(void)
 	config.persistence_filepath = persistence_filepath;
 
 	rc = persist__restore();
-	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, 1);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, MOSQ_ERR_UNKNOWN);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(db.last_db_id, 0);
 }
 
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ static void TEST_v3_config_bad_dbid(void)
 	config.persistence_filepath = persistence_filepath;
 
 	rc = persist__restore();
-	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, 1);
+	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(rc, MOSQ_ERR_INVAL);
 	CU_ASSERT_EQUAL(db.last_db_id, 0);
 }