diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
index 25ffd7614..341b0a147 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost.h
@@ -292,17 +292,15 @@ struct guest_page {
  *  vhost device id
  * @param msg
  *  Message pointer.
- * @param require_reply
- *  If the handler requires sending a reply, this varaible shall be written 1,
- *  otherwise 0.
  * @param skip_master
  *  If the handler requires skipping the master message handling, this variable
  *  shall be written 1, otherwise 0.
  * @return
- *  0 on success, -1 on failure
+ *  VH_RESULT_OK on success, VH_RESULT_REPLY on success with reply,
+ *  VH_RESULT_ERR on failure
  */
-typedef int (*vhost_msg_pre_handle)(int vid, void *msg,
-		uint32_t *require_reply, uint32_t *skip_master);
+typedef enum vh_result (*vhost_msg_pre_handle)(int vid, void *msg,
+		uint32_t *skip_master);
 
 /**
  * function prototype for the vhost backend to handler specific vhost user
@@ -312,14 +310,11 @@ typedef int (*vhost_msg_pre_handle)(int vid, void *msg,
  *  vhost device id
  * @param msg
  *  Message pointer.
- * @param require_reply
- *  If the handler requires sending a reply, this varaible shall be written 1,
- *  otherwise 0.
  * @return
- *  0 on success, -1 on failure
+ *  VH_RESULT_OK on success, VH_RESULT_REPLY on success with reply,
+ *  VH_RESULT_ERR on failure
  */
-typedef int (*vhost_msg_post_handle)(int vid, void *msg,
-		uint32_t *require_reply);
+typedef enum vh_result (*vhost_msg_post_handle)(int vid, void *msg);
 
 /**
  * pre and post vhost user message handlers
diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_crypto.c b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_crypto.c
index 57341ef8f..e534e1187 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_crypto.c
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_crypto.c
@@ -425,35 +425,33 @@ vhost_crypto_close_sess(struct vhost_crypto *vcrypto, uint64_t session_id)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-vhost_crypto_msg_post_handler(int vid, void *msg, uint32_t *require_reply)
+static enum vh_result
+vhost_crypto_msg_post_handler(int vid, void *msg)
 {
 	struct virtio_net *dev = get_device(vid);
 	struct vhost_crypto *vcrypto;
 	VhostUserMsg *vmsg = msg;
-	int ret = 0;
+	enum vh_result ret = VH_RESULT_ERR;
 
-	if (dev == NULL || require_reply == NULL) {
+	if (dev == NULL) {
 		VC_LOG_ERR("Invalid vid %i", vid);
-		return -EINVAL;
+		return VH_RESULT_ERR;
 	}
 
 	vcrypto = dev->extern_data;
 	if (vcrypto == NULL) {
 		VC_LOG_ERR("Cannot find required data, is it initialized?");
-		return -ENOENT;
+		return VH_RESULT_ERR;
 	}
 
-	*require_reply = 0;
-
 	if (vmsg->request.master == VHOST_USER_CRYPTO_CREATE_SESS) {
 		vhost_crypto_create_sess(vcrypto,
 				&vmsg->payload.crypto_session);
-		*require_reply = 1;
-	} else if (vmsg->request.master == VHOST_USER_CRYPTO_CLOSE_SESS)
-		ret = vhost_crypto_close_sess(vcrypto, vmsg->payload.u64);
-	else
-		ret = -EINVAL;
+		ret = VH_RESULT_REPLY;
+	} else if (vmsg->request.master == VHOST_USER_CRYPTO_CLOSE_SESS) {
+		if (!vhost_crypto_close_sess(vcrypto, vmsg->payload.u64))
+			ret = VH_RESULT_OK;
+	}
 
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c
index 7ef3fb4a4..e8375ca34 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c
@@ -71,16 +71,6 @@ static const char *vhost_message_str[VHOST_USER_MAX] = {
 	[VHOST_USER_CRYPTO_CLOSE_SESS] = "VHOST_USER_CRYPTO_CLOSE_SESS",
 };
 
-/* The possible results of a message handling function */
-enum vh_result {
-	/* Message handling failed */
-	VH_RESULT_ERR   = -1,
-	/* Message handling successful */
-	VH_RESULT_OK    =  0,
-	/* Message handling successful and reply prepared */
-	VH_RESULT_REPLY =  1,
-};
-
 static uint64_t
 get_blk_size(int fd)
 {
@@ -1738,14 +1728,11 @@ vhost_user_msg_handler(int vid, int fd)
 	}
 
 	if (dev->extern_ops.pre_msg_handle) {
-		uint32_t need_reply;
-
 		ret = (*dev->extern_ops.pre_msg_handle)(dev->vid,
-				(void *)&msg, &need_reply, &skip_master);
-		if (ret < 0)
+				(void *)&msg, &skip_master);
+		if (ret == VH_RESULT_ERR)
 			goto skip_to_reply;
-
-		if (need_reply)
+		else if (ret == VH_RESULT_REPLY)
 			send_vhost_reply(fd, &msg);
 
 		if (skip_master)
@@ -1783,15 +1770,12 @@ vhost_user_msg_handler(int vid, int fd)
 	}
 
 skip_to_post_handle:
-	if (!ret && dev->extern_ops.post_msg_handle) {
-		uint32_t need_reply;
-
+	if (ret != VH_RESULT_ERR && dev->extern_ops.post_msg_handle) {
 		ret = (*dev->extern_ops.post_msg_handle)(
-				dev->vid, (void *)&msg, &need_reply);
-		if (ret < 0)
+				dev->vid, (void *)&msg);
+		if (ret == VH_RESULT_ERR)
 			goto skip_to_reply;
-
-		if (need_reply)
+		else if (ret == VH_RESULT_REPLY)
 			send_vhost_reply(fd, &msg);
 	}
 
@@ -1800,10 +1784,10 @@ vhost_user_msg_handler(int vid, int fd)
 		vhost_user_unlock_all_queue_pairs(dev);
 
 	if (msg.flags & VHOST_USER_NEED_REPLY) {
-		msg.payload.u64 = !!ret;
+		msg.payload.u64 = ret == VH_RESULT_ERR;
 		msg.size = sizeof(msg.payload.u64);
 		send_vhost_reply(fd, &msg);
-	} else if (ret) {
+	} else if (ret == VH_RESULT_ERR) {
 		RTE_LOG(ERR, VHOST_CONFIG,
 			"vhost message handling failed.\n");
 		return -1;
diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.h b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.h
index 42166adf2..62654f736 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.h
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.h
@@ -139,6 +139,15 @@ typedef struct VhostUserMsg {
 /* The version of the protocol we support */
 #define VHOST_USER_VERSION    0x1
 
+/* The possible results of a message handling function */
+enum vh_result {
+	/* Message handling failed */
+	VH_RESULT_ERR   = -1,
+	/* Message handling successful */
+	VH_RESULT_OK    =  0,
+	/* Message handling successful and reply prepared */
+	VH_RESULT_REPLY =  1,
+};
 
 /* vhost_user.c */
 int vhost_user_msg_handler(int vid, int fd);
