diff --git a/ports/src/vancouver/boot_module_provider.h b/ports/src/vancouver/boot_module_provider.h
index 07ea3ddb8..477ab42d1 100644
--- a/ports/src/vancouver/boot_module_provider.h
+++ b/ports/src/vancouver/boot_module_provider.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class Boot_module_provider
 		 * Exception class
 		 */
 		class Destination_buffer_too_small { };
+		class Module_loading_failed { };
 
 		/**
 		 * Constructor
@@ -107,10 +108,13 @@ class Boot_module_provider
 				PWRN("XML node %d in multiboot node has unexpected type",
 				     module_index);
 
-				return 0;
+				throw Module_loading_failed();
 			}
 			catch (Xml_node::Nonexistent_sub_node) { }
 			catch (Xml_node::Nonexistent_attribute) { }
+			catch (...) {
+				throw Module_loading_failed();
+			}
 
 			/*
 			 * We should get here only if there are XML parsing errors
diff --git a/ports/src/vancouver/main.cc b/ports/src/vancouver/main.cc
index 8ec8a0f2e..9caf757f1 100644
--- a/ports/src/vancouver/main.cc
+++ b/ports/src/vancouver/main.cc
@@ -847,7 +847,11 @@ class Machine : public StaticReceiver<Machine>
 					try {
 						data_len = _boot_modules.data(index, data_dst, dst_len);
 					} catch (Boot_module_provider::Destination_buffer_too_small) {
-						Logging::printf("could not load module, destination buffer too small\n");
+						Logging::panic("could not load module, destination buffer too small\n");
+						return false;
+					} catch (Boot_module_provider::Module_loading_failed) {
+						Logging::panic("could not load module %d,"
+						               " unknown reason\n", index);
 						return false;
 					}