diff --git a/src/fprintd.h b/src/fprintd.h
index 6d484ca..0f70483 100644
--- a/src/fprintd.h
+++ b/src/fprintd.h
@@ -45,15 +45,14 @@ typedef enum {
 
 /* Manager */
 #define FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER            (fprint_manager_get_type())
-#define FPRINT_MANAGER(object)         (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST((object), FPRINT_MANAGER_TYPE, FprintManager))
-#define FPRINT_MANAGER_CLASS(klass)    (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_CAST((klass), FPRINT_MANAGER_TYPE, FprintManagerClass))
-#define FPRINT_IS_MANAGER(object)      (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_TYPE((object), FPRINT_MANAGER_TYPE))
+#define FPRINT_MANAGER(object)         (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST((object), FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER, FprintManager))
+#define FPRINT_MANAGER_CLASS(klass)    (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_CAST((klass), FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER, FprintManagerClass))
+#define FPRINT_IS_MANAGER(object)      (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_TYPE((object), FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER))
 #define FPRINT_IS_MANAGER_CLASS(klass) (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_TYPE((klass), FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER))
 #define FPRINT_MANAGER_GET_CLASS(obj)  (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_CLASS((obj), FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER, FprintManagerClass))
 
 struct FprintManager {
 	GObject parent;
-	GSList *dev_registry;
 };
 
 struct FprintManagerClass {
@@ -64,6 +63,7 @@ typedef struct FprintManager FprintManager;
 typedef struct FprintManagerClass FprintManagerClass;
 
 FprintManager *fprint_manager_new(void);
+GError *fprint_manager_get_error(FprintManager *manager);
 GType fprint_manager_get_type(void);
 
 /* Device */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 06be86c..b6ca1d2 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -237,6 +237,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	/* create the one instance of the Manager object to be shared between
 	 * all fprintd users */
 	manager = fprint_manager_new();
+	error = fprint_manager_get_error (manager);
+	if (error != NULL) {
+		g_error("Couldn't create manager object: %s", error->message);
+		g_error_free (error);
+		return 1;
+	}
 
 	driver_proxy = dbus_g_proxy_new_for_name(fprintd_dbus_conn,
 		DBUS_SERVICE_DBUS, DBUS_PATH_DBUS, DBUS_INTERFACE_DBUS);
diff --git a/src/manager.c b/src/manager.c
index 72356f3..80f7f7f 100644
--- a/src/manager.c
+++ b/src/manager.c
@@ -31,41 +31,37 @@ static gboolean fprint_manager_get_devices(FprintManager *manager,
 
 static GObjectClass *parent_class = NULL;
 
-static void manager_finalize(GObject *object)
+G_DEFINE_TYPE(FprintManager, fprint_manager, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
+
+typedef struct
 {
-	FprintManager *self = (FprintManager *) object;
-	g_slist_free(self->dev_registry);
+	GError *last_error;
+	GSList *dev_registry;
+} FprintManagerPrivate;
+
+#define FPRINT_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE(o)  \
+	(G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((o), FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER, FprintManagerPrivate))
+
+static void fprint_manager_finalize(GObject *object)
+{
+	FprintManagerPrivate *priv = FPRINT_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (object);
+
+	g_slist_free(priv->dev_registry);
+	if (priv->last_error)
+		g_error_free (priv->last_error);
+
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS(parent_class)->finalize(object);
 }
 
-static void manager_class_init(FprintManagerClass *klass)
+static void fprint_manager_class_init(FprintManagerClass *klass)
 {
 	dbus_g_object_type_install_info(FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER,
 		&dbus_glib_fprint_manager_object_info);
 
-	G_OBJECT_CLASS(klass)->finalize = manager_finalize;
-	parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent(klass);
-}
+	g_type_class_add_private ((GObjectClass *) klass, sizeof (FprintManagerPrivate));
 
-GType fprint_manager_get_type(void)
-{
-	static GType type = 0;
-	if (type == 0) {
-		static const GTypeInfo info = {
-			sizeof(FprintManagerClass),
-			NULL,   /* base_init */
-			NULL,   /* base_finalize */
-			(GClassInitFunc) manager_class_init,
-			NULL,   /* class_finalize */
-			NULL,   /* class_data */
-			sizeof(FprintManager),
-			0,      /* n_preallocs */
-			NULL,
-		};
-		type = g_type_register_static(G_TYPE_OBJECT, "FprintManagerType",
-			&info, 0);
-	}
-	return type;
+	G_OBJECT_CLASS(klass)->finalize = fprint_manager_finalize;
+	parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent(klass);
 }
 
 static gchar *get_device_path(FprintDevice *rdev)
@@ -74,20 +70,19 @@ static gchar *get_device_path(FprintDevice *rdev)
 		_fprint_device_get_id(rdev));
 }
 
-FprintManager *fprint_manager_new(void)
+static void
+fprint_manager_init (FprintManager *manager)
 {
-	FprintManager *manager;
+	FprintManagerPrivate *priv = FPRINT_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (manager);
 	struct fp_dscv_dev **discovered_devs = fp_discover_devs();
 	struct fp_dscv_dev *ddev;
 	int i = 0;
 
-	/* FIXME some or all of this should probably be moved into FprintManager
-	 * ctor. however i'm not sure how to raise errors from a constructor... */
+	if (!discovered_devs) {
+		priv->last_error = g_error_new (0, 0, "NO DEVICES AVAILABLE: FIXME");
+		return;
+	}
 
-	if (!discovered_devs)
-		return NULL;
-
-	manager = g_object_new(FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER, NULL);
 	dbus_g_connection_register_g_object(fprintd_dbus_conn,
 		"/net/reactivated/Fprint/Manager", G_OBJECT(manager));
 
@@ -95,20 +90,31 @@ FprintManager *fprint_manager_new(void)
 		FprintDevice *rdev = fprint_device_new(ddev);
 		gchar *path;
 
-		manager->dev_registry = g_slist_prepend(manager->dev_registry, rdev);
+		priv->dev_registry = g_slist_prepend(priv->dev_registry, rdev);
 		path = get_device_path(rdev);
 		dbus_g_connection_register_g_object(fprintd_dbus_conn, path,
 			G_OBJECT(rdev));
 		g_free(path);
 	}
+}
 
-	return manager;
+FprintManager *fprint_manager_new(void)
+{
+	return g_object_new(FPRINT_TYPE_MANAGER, NULL);
+}
+
+GError *fprint_manager_get_error(FprintManager *manager)
+{
+	FprintManagerPrivate *priv = FPRINT_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (manager);
+
+	return g_error_copy (priv->last_error);
 }
 
 static gboolean fprint_manager_get_devices(FprintManager *manager,
 	GPtrArray **devices, GError **error)
 {
-	GSList *elem = manager->dev_registry;
+	FprintManagerPrivate *priv = FPRINT_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (manager);
+	GSList *elem = priv->dev_registry;
 	int num_open = g_slist_length(elem);
 	GPtrArray *devs = g_ptr_array_sized_new(num_open);