diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c2d755a..8fcc07f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,15 +60,21 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	ret := nvml.Init()
+	ret, err := nvml.Init()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Unable to open NVML library: %v", err)
+	}
 	if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 		log.Fatalf("Unable to initialize NVML: %v", nvml.ErrorString(ret))
 	}
 	defer func() {
-		ret := nvml.Shutdown()
+		ret, err := nvml.Shutdown()
 		if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 			log.Fatalf("Unable to shutdown NVML: %v", nvml.ErrorString(ret))
 		}
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("Unable to close NVML library: %v", err)
+		}
 	}()
 
 	count, ret := nvml.DeviceGetCount()
diff --git a/examples/compute-processes/main.go b/examples/compute-processes/main.go
index 5adeb5a..5d34877 100644
--- a/examples/compute-processes/main.go
+++ b/examples/compute-processes/main.go
@@ -24,15 +24,21 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	ret := nvml.Init()
+	ret, err := nvml.Init()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Unable to open NVML library: %v", err)
+	}
 	if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 		log.Fatalf("Unable to initialize NVML: %v", nvml.ErrorString(ret))
 	}
 	defer func() {
-		ret := nvml.Shutdown()
+		ret, err := nvml.Shutdown()
 		if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 			log.Fatalf("Unable to shutdown NVML: %v", nvml.ErrorString(ret))
 		}
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("Unable to close NVML library: %v", err)
+		}
 	}()
 
 	count, ret := nvml.DeviceGetCount()
diff --git a/examples/devices/main.go b/examples/devices/main.go
index 649f371..c6d20eb 100644
--- a/examples/devices/main.go
+++ b/examples/devices/main.go
@@ -24,15 +24,21 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	ret := nvml.Init()
+	ret, err := nvml.Init()
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatalf("Unable to open NVML library: %v", err)
+	}
 	if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 		log.Fatalf("Unable to initialize NVML: %v", nvml.ErrorString(ret))
 	}
 	defer func() {
-		ret := nvml.Shutdown()
+		ret, err := nvml.Shutdown()
 		if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 			log.Fatalf("Unable to shutdown NVML: %v", nvml.ErrorString(ret))
 		}
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("Unable to close NVML library: %v", err)
+		}
 	}()
 
 	count, ret := nvml.DeviceGetCount()
diff --git a/gen/nvml/init.go b/gen/nvml/init.go
index 1572f81..c8cb0d0 100644
--- a/gen/nvml/init.go
+++ b/gen/nvml/init.go
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 package nvml
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/go-nvml/pkg/dl"
 )
 
@@ -30,45 +28,45 @@ const (
 var nvml *dl.DynamicLibrary
 
 // nvml.Init()
-func Init() Return {
+func Init() (Return, error) {
 	lib := dl.New(nvmlLibraryName, nvmlLibraryLoadFlags)
 	err := lib.Open()
 	if err != nil {
-		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND
+		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND, err
 	}
 
 	nvml = lib
 	updateVersionedSymbols()
 
-	return nvmlInit()
+	return nvmlInit(), nil
 }
 
 // nvml.InitWithFlags()
-func InitWithFlags(Flags uint32) Return {
+func InitWithFlags(Flags uint32) (Return, error) {
 	lib := dl.New(nvmlLibraryName, nvmlLibraryLoadFlags)
 	err := lib.Open()
 	if err != nil {
-		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND
+		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND, err
 	}
 
 	nvml = lib
 
-	return nvmlInitWithFlags(Flags)
+	return nvmlInitWithFlags(Flags), nil
 }
 
 // nvml.Shutdown()
-func Shutdown() Return {
+func Shutdown() (Return, error) {
 	ret := nvmlShutdown()
 	if ret != SUCCESS {
-		return ret
+		return ret, nil
 	}
 
 	err := nvml.Close()
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("error closing %s: %v", nvmlLibraryName, err))
+		return ret, err
 	}
 
-	return ret
+	return ret, nil
 }
 
 // Default all versioned APIs to v1 (to infer the types)
diff --git a/gen/nvml/nvml_test.go b/gen/nvml/nvml_test.go
index 9d8824f..42355fa 100644
--- a/gen/nvml/nvml_test.go
+++ b/gen/nvml/nvml_test.go
@@ -19,19 +19,25 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestInit(t *testing.T) {
-	ret := Init()
+	ret, err := Init()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NVML open: %v", err)
+	}
 	if ret != SUCCESS {
 		t.Errorf("Init: %v", ret)
 	} else {
 		t.Logf("Init: %v", ret)
 	}
 
-	ret = Shutdown()
+	ret, err = Shutdown()
 	if ret != SUCCESS {
 		t.Errorf("Shutdown: %v", ret)
 	} else {
 		t.Logf("Shutdown: %v", ret)
 	}
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NVML close: %v", err)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSystem(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/pkg/nvml/init.go b/pkg/nvml/init.go
index 1572f81..c8cb0d0 100644
--- a/pkg/nvml/init.go
+++ b/pkg/nvml/init.go
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@
 package nvml
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
-
 	"github.com/NVIDIA/go-nvml/pkg/dl"
 )
 
@@ -30,45 +28,45 @@ const (
 var nvml *dl.DynamicLibrary
 
 // nvml.Init()
-func Init() Return {
+func Init() (Return, error) {
 	lib := dl.New(nvmlLibraryName, nvmlLibraryLoadFlags)
 	err := lib.Open()
 	if err != nil {
-		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND
+		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND, err
 	}
 
 	nvml = lib
 	updateVersionedSymbols()
 
-	return nvmlInit()
+	return nvmlInit(), nil
 }
 
 // nvml.InitWithFlags()
-func InitWithFlags(Flags uint32) Return {
+func InitWithFlags(Flags uint32) (Return, error) {
 	lib := dl.New(nvmlLibraryName, nvmlLibraryLoadFlags)
 	err := lib.Open()
 	if err != nil {
-		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND
+		return ERROR_LIBRARY_NOT_FOUND, err
 	}
 
 	nvml = lib
 
-	return nvmlInitWithFlags(Flags)
+	return nvmlInitWithFlags(Flags), nil
 }
 
 // nvml.Shutdown()
-func Shutdown() Return {
+func Shutdown() (Return, error) {
 	ret := nvmlShutdown()
 	if ret != SUCCESS {
-		return ret
+		return ret, nil
 	}
 
 	err := nvml.Close()
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("error closing %s: %v", nvmlLibraryName, err))
+		return ret, err
 	}
 
-	return ret
+	return ret, nil
 }
 
 // Default all versioned APIs to v1 (to infer the types)
diff --git a/pkg/nvml/nvml_test.go b/pkg/nvml/nvml_test.go
index 9d8824f..42355fa 100644
--- a/pkg/nvml/nvml_test.go
+++ b/pkg/nvml/nvml_test.go
@@ -19,19 +19,25 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestInit(t *testing.T) {
-	ret := Init()
+	ret, err := Init()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NVML open: %v", err)
+	}
 	if ret != SUCCESS {
 		t.Errorf("Init: %v", ret)
 	} else {
 		t.Logf("Init: %v", ret)
 	}
 
-	ret = Shutdown()
+	ret, err = Shutdown()
 	if ret != SUCCESS {
 		t.Errorf("Shutdown: %v", ret)
 	} else {
 		t.Logf("Shutdown: %v", ret)
 	}
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NVML close: %v", err)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestSystem(t *testing.T) {