diff --git a/src/modules/module-session-manager.c b/src/modules/module-session-manager.c
index b8ef16f35..20c9af340 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-session-manager.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-session-manager.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ int client_endpoint_factory_init(struct pw_impl_module *module);
 /* client-session.c */
 int client_session_factory_init(struct pw_impl_module *module);
 /* protocol-native.c */
-struct pw_protocol *pw_protocol_native_ext_session_manager_init(struct pw_context *context);
+int pw_protocol_native_ext_session_manager_init(struct pw_context *context);
 
 static const struct spa_dict_item module_props[] = {
 	{ PW_KEY_MODULE_AUTHOR, "George Kiagiadakis <george.kiagiadakis@collabora.com>" },
@@ -44,12 +44,14 @@ SPA_EXPORT
 int pipewire__module_init(struct pw_impl_module *module, const char *args)
 {
 	struct pw_context *context = pw_impl_module_get_context(module);
+	int res;
+
+	if ((res = pw_protocol_native_ext_session_manager_init(context)) < 0)
+		return res;
 
 	client_endpoint_factory_init(module);
 	client_session_factory_init(module);
 
-	pw_protocol_native_ext_session_manager_init(context);
-
 	pw_impl_module_update_properties(module, &SPA_DICT_INIT_ARRAY(module_props));
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/src/modules/module-session-manager/protocol-native.c b/src/modules/module-session-manager/protocol-native.c
index 1338d896c..b877ba9d5 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-session-manager/protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-session-manager/protocol-native.c
@@ -3039,14 +3039,13 @@ static const struct pw_protocol_marshal pw_protocol_native_session_impl_marshal
 	.client_demarshal = pw_protocol_native_session_client_method_demarshal,
 };
 
-struct pw_protocol *pw_protocol_native_ext_session_manager_init(struct pw_context *context)
+int pw_protocol_native_ext_session_manager_init(struct pw_context *context)
 {
 	struct pw_protocol *protocol;
 
 	protocol = pw_context_find_protocol(context, PW_TYPE_INFO_PROTOCOL_Native);
-
 	if (protocol == NULL)
-		return NULL;
+		return -EPROTO;
 
 	/* deprecated */
 	pw_protocol_add_marshal(protocol, &pw_protocol_native_client_endpoint_marshal);
@@ -3064,5 +3063,5 @@ struct pw_protocol *pw_protocol_native_ext_session_manager_init(struct pw_contex
 	pw_protocol_add_marshal(protocol, &pw_protocol_native_endpoint_impl_marshal);
 	pw_protocol_add_marshal(protocol, &pw_protocol_native_session_impl_marshal);
 
-	return protocol;
+	return 0;
 }