diff --git a/lib/libbe/be.c b/lib/libbe/be.c
index 16a64f24ca3f..c1cdd55825fe 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/be.c
+++ b/lib/libbe/be.c
@@ -270,8 +270,8 @@ be_snapshot(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *source, const char *snap_name,
 
 	be_root_concat(lbh, source, buf);
 
-	if (!be_exists(lbh, buf))
-		return (BE_ERR_NOENT);
+	if ((err = be_exists(lbh, buf)) != 0)
+		return (set_error(lbh, err));
 
 	if (snap_name != NULL) {
 		if (strlcat(buf, "@", sizeof(buf)) >= sizeof(buf))
@@ -528,10 +528,10 @@ be_validate_snap(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *snap_name)
 
 	if ((err = zfs_prop_get(zfs_hdl, ZFS_PROP_MOUNTPOINT, buf,
 	    sizeof(buf), NULL, NULL, 0, 1)) != 0)
-		err = BE_ERR_INVORIGIN;
+		err = BE_ERR_BADMOUNT;
 
 	if ((err != 0) && (strncmp(buf, "/", sizeof(buf)) != 0))
-		err = BE_ERR_INVORIGIN;
+		err = BE_ERR_BADMOUNT;
 
 	zfs_close(zfs_hdl);
 
@@ -935,8 +935,8 @@ be_activate(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *bootenv, bool temporary)
 	be_root_concat(lbh, bootenv, be_path);
 
 	/* Note: be_exists fails if mountpoint is not / */
-	if (!be_exists(lbh, be_path))
-		return (BE_ERR_NOENT);
+	if ((err = be_exists(lbh, be_path)) != 0)
+		return (set_error(lbh, err));
 
 	if (temporary) {
 		config = zpool_get_config(lbh->active_phandle, NULL);
diff --git a/lib/libbe/be.h b/lib/libbe/be.h
index 7a6d1aa604d9..ab43e9ba5643 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/be.h
+++ b/lib/libbe/be.h
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ typedef enum be_error {
 	BE_ERR_BADPATH,		/* path not suitable for operation */
 	BE_ERR_PATHBUSY,	/* requested path is busy */
 	BE_ERR_PATHLEN,         /* provided name exceeds maximum length limit */
-	BE_ERR_INVORIGIN,       /* snapshot origin's mountpoint is not '/' */
+	BE_ERR_BADMOUNT,        /* mountpoint is not '/' */
 	BE_ERR_NOORIGIN,        /* could not open snapshot's origin */
 	BE_ERR_MOUNTED,         /* boot environment is already mounted */
 	BE_ERR_NOMOUNT,         /* boot environment is not mounted */
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void libbe_print_on_error(libbe_handle_t *, bool);
 int be_root_concat(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, char *);
 int be_validate_name(libbe_handle_t * __unused, const char *);
 int be_validate_snap(libbe_handle_t *, const char *);
-bool be_exists(libbe_handle_t *, char *);
+int be_exists(libbe_handle_t *, char *);
 
 int be_export(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, int fd);
 int be_import(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, int fd);
diff --git a/lib/libbe/be_access.c b/lib/libbe/be_access.c
index b43855908eb2..328326f7147d 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/be_access.c
+++ b/lib/libbe/be_access.c
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ be_mount(libbe_handle_t *lbh, char *bootenv, char *mountpoint, int flags,
 	if ((err = be_root_concat(lbh, bootenv, be)) != 0)
 		return (set_error(lbh, err));
 
-	if (!be_exists(lbh, bootenv))
-		return (set_error(lbh, BE_ERR_NOENT));
+	if ((err = be_exists(lbh, bootenv)) != 0)
+		return (set_error(lbh, err));
 
 	if (is_mounted(lbh->lzh, be, NULL))
 		return (set_error(lbh, BE_ERR_MOUNTED));
diff --git a/lib/libbe/be_error.c b/lib/libbe/be_error.c
index c60e1890afd8..746d873f8a39 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/be_error.c
+++ b/lib/libbe/be_error.c
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ libbe_error_description(libbe_handle_t *lbh)
 	case BE_ERR_PATHLEN:
 		return ("provided path name exceeds maximum length limit");
 
-	case BE_ERR_INVORIGIN:
-		return ("snapshot origin's mountpoint is not \"/\"");
+	case BE_ERR_BADMOUNT:
+		return ("mountpoint is not \"/\"");
 
 	case BE_ERR_NOORIGIN:
 		return ("could not open snapshot's origin");
diff --git a/lib/libbe/be_info.c b/lib/libbe/be_info.c
index 46e5556757c4..dba718cbac8f 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/be_info.c
+++ b/lib/libbe/be_info.c
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ be_prop_list_free(nvlist_t *be_list)
 /*
  * Usage
  */
-bool
+int
 be_exists(libbe_handle_t *lbh, char *be)
 {
 	char buf[BE_MAXPATHLEN];
@@ -296,25 +296,23 @@ be_exists(libbe_handle_t *lbh, char *be)
 	be_root_concat(lbh, be, buf);
 
 	if (!zfs_dataset_exists(lbh->lzh, buf, ZFS_TYPE_DATASET))
-		return (false);
+		return (BE_ERR_NOENT);
 
 	/* Also check if it's mounted at / */
-	if (be_prop_list_alloc(&dsprops) != 0) {
-		set_error(lbh, BE_ERR_UNKNOWN);
-		return (false);
-	}
+	if (be_prop_list_alloc(&dsprops) != 0)
+		return (BE_ERR_UNKNOWN);
 
 	if (be_get_dataset_props(lbh, buf, dsprops) != 0) {
 		nvlist_free(dsprops);
-		return (false);
+		return (BE_ERR_UNKNOWN);
 	}
 
 	if (nvlist_lookup_string(dsprops, "mountpoint", &mntpoint) == 0) {
 		valid = (strcmp(mntpoint, "/") == 0);
 		nvlist_free(dsprops);
-		return (valid);
+		return (valid ? BE_ERR_SUCCESS : BE_ERR_BADMOUNT);
 	}
 
 	nvlist_free(dsprops);
-	return (false);
+	return (BE_ERR_BADMOUNT);
 }
diff --git a/lib/libbe/libbe.3 b/lib/libbe/libbe.3
index 02c14d809946..9e3dbef23dfe 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/libbe.3
+++ b/lib/libbe/libbe.3
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd August 24, 2018
+.Dd August 31, 2018
 .Dt LIBBE 3
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
 .Ft int
 .Fn be_validate_snap "libbe_handle_t *hdl" "const char *snap"
 .Pp
-.Ft bool
+.Ft int
 .Fn be_exists "libbe_handle_t *hdl" "char *be_name"
 .Pp
 .Ft int
@@ -352,6 +352,8 @@ The
 function will check whether the given boot environment exists and has a
 mountpoint of
 .Pa / .
+This function does not set the internal library error state, but will return
+the appropriate error.
 .Pp
 The
 .Fn be_export
@@ -444,7 +446,7 @@ BE_ERR_DESTROYMNT,
 BE_ERR_BADPATH,
 BE_ERR_PATHBUSY,
 BE_ERR_PATHLEN,
-BE_ERR_INVORIGIN,
+BE_ERR_BADMOUNT,
 BE_ERR_NOORIGIN,
 BE_ERR_MOUNTED,
 BE_ERR_NOMOUNT,