diff --git a/lib/ns/client.c b/lib/ns/client.c
index 7351c91923..6e381d03b4 100644
--- a/lib/ns/client.c
+++ b/lib/ns/client.c
@@ -1838,19 +1838,13 @@ ns_client_request(isc_nmhandle_t *handle, isc_result_t eresult,
 
 		client = isc_mem_get(clientmgr->mctx, sizeof(*client));
 
-		result = ns__client_setup(client, clientmgr, true);
-		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-			return;
-		}
+		ns__client_setup(client, clientmgr, true);
 
 		ns_client_log(client, DNS_LOGCATEGORY_SECURITY,
 			      NS_LOGMODULE_CLIENT, ISC_LOG_DEBUG(3),
 			      "allocate new client");
 	} else {
-		result = ns__client_setup(client, NULL, false);
-		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-			return;
-		}
+		ns__client_setup(client, NULL, false);
 	}
 
 	client->state = NS_CLIENTSTATE_READY;
@@ -2520,10 +2514,8 @@ ns__client_tcpconn(isc_nmhandle_t *handle, isc_result_t result, void *arg) {
 	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
 }
 
-isc_result_t
+void
 ns__client_setup(ns_client_t *client, ns_clientmgr_t *mgr, bool new) {
-	isc_result_t result;
-
 	/*
 	 * Note: creating a client does not add the client to the
 	 * manager's client list, the caller is responsible for that.
@@ -2548,10 +2540,7 @@ ns__client_setup(ns_client_t *client, ns_clientmgr_t *mgr, bool new) {
 		 * and the functions it calls will require it.
 		 */
 		client->magic = NS_CLIENT_MAGIC;
-		result = ns_query_init(client);
-		if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-			goto cleanup;
-		}
+		ns_query_init(client);
 	} else {
 		REQUIRE(NS_CLIENT_VALID(client));
 		REQUIRE(client->manager->tid == isc_tid());
@@ -2583,14 +2572,6 @@ ns__client_setup(ns_client_t *client, ns_clientmgr_t *mgr, bool new) {
 	client->magic = NS_CLIENT_MAGIC;
 
 	CTRACE("client_setup");
-
-	return (ISC_R_SUCCESS);
-
-cleanup:
-	dns_message_detach(&client->message);
-	ns_clientmgr_detach(&client->manager);
-
-	return (result);
 }
 
 /***
diff --git a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
index 1213c6ec3b..89ee79a67c 100644
--- a/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
+++ b/lib/ns/include/ns/client.h
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ ns_client_findversion(ns_client_t *client, dns_db_t *db);
 
 ISC_REFCOUNT_DECL(ns_clientmgr);
 
-isc_result_t
+void
 ns__client_setup(ns_client_t *client, ns_clientmgr_t *manager, bool new);
 /*%<
  * Perform initial setup of an allocated client.
diff --git a/lib/ns/include/ns/query.h b/lib/ns/include/ns/query.h
index f6d0712c93..4f2c185b85 100644
--- a/lib/ns/include/ns/query.h
+++ b/lib/ns/include/ns/query.h
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ ns_query_hookasync(query_ctx_t *qctx, ns_query_starthookasync_t runasync,
  * other aspects of hook-triggered asynchronous event handling.
  */
 
-isc_result_t
+void
 ns_query_init(ns_client_t *client);
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/ns/query.c b/lib/ns/query.c
index 203ab46257..1a0e74918c 100644
--- a/lib/ns/query.c
+++ b/lib/ns/query.c
@@ -806,10 +806,8 @@ ns_query_free(ns_client_t *client) {
 	query_reset(client, true);
 }
 
-isc_result_t
+void
 ns_query_init(ns_client_t *client) {
-	isc_result_t result = ISC_R_SUCCESS;
-
 	REQUIRE(NS_CLIENT_VALID(client));
 
 	client->query = (ns_query_t){ 0 };
@@ -827,8 +825,6 @@ ns_query_init(ns_client_t *client) {
 	query_reset(client, false);
 	ns_client_newdbversion(client, 3);
 	ns_client_newnamebuf(client);
-
-	return (result);
 }
 
 /*%
diff --git a/tests/include/tests/ns.h b/tests/include/tests/ns.h
index c313abfa04..831ae80399 100644
--- a/tests/include/tests/ns.h
+++ b/tests/include/tests/ns.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ isc_result_t
 ns_test_getdata(const char *file, unsigned char *buf, size_t bufsiz,
 		size_t *sizep);
 
-isc_result_t
+void
 ns_test_getclient(ns_interface_t *ifp0, bool tcp, ns_client_t **clientp);
 
 /*%
diff --git a/tests/libtest/ns.c b/tests/libtest/ns.c
index 980ab6b904..b6ee7490e4 100644
--- a/tests/libtest/ns.c
+++ b/tests/libtest/ns.c
@@ -216,9 +216,8 @@ ns_test_cleanup_zone(void) {
 	dns_zone_detach(&served_zone);
 }
 
-isc_result_t
+void
 ns_test_getclient(ns_interface_t *ifp0, bool tcp, ns_client_t **clientp) {
-	isc_result_t result;
 	ns_client_t *client;
 	ns_clientmgr_t *clientmgr;
 	int i;
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@ ns_test_getclient(ns_interface_t *ifp0, bool tcp, ns_client_t **clientp) {
 	clientmgr = ns_interfacemgr_getclientmgr(interfacemgr);
 
 	client = isc_mem_get(clientmgr->mctx, sizeof(*client));
-	result = ns__client_setup(client, clientmgr, true);
+	ns__client_setup(client, clientmgr, true);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < 32; i++) {
 		if (atomic_load(&client_addrs[i]) == (uintptr_t)NULL ||
@@ -244,8 +243,6 @@ ns_test_getclient(ns_interface_t *ifp0, bool tcp, ns_client_t **clientp) {
 	atomic_store(&client_addrs[i], (uintptr_t)client);
 	client->handle = (isc_nmhandle_t *)client; /* Hack */
 	*clientp = client;
-
-	return (result);
 }
 
 /*%
@@ -438,10 +435,7 @@ ns_test_qctx_create(const ns_test_qctx_create_params_t *params,
 	/*
 	 * Allocate and initialize a client structure.
 	 */
-	result = ns_test_getclient(NULL, false, &client);
-	if (result != ISC_R_SUCCESS) {
-		return (result);
-	}
+	ns_test_getclient(NULL, false, &client);
 	client->tnow = isc_time_now();
 
 	/*
diff --git a/tests/ns/notify_test.c b/tests/ns/notify_test.c
index bb2389f2e5..806470a624 100644
--- a/tests/ns/notify_test.c
+++ b/tests/ns/notify_test.c
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ ISC_LOOP_TEST_IMPL(notify_start) {
 	isc_buffer_t nbuf;
 	size_t nsize;
 
-	result = ns_test_getclient(NULL, false, &client);
-	assert_int_equal(result, ISC_R_SUCCESS);
+	ns_test_getclient(NULL, false, &client);
 
 	result = dns_test_makeview("view", false, false, &client->view);
 	assert_int_equal(result, ISC_R_SUCCESS);