diff --git a/src/frontend/spiceif.c b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
index 1077a3f72..35ae3561c 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spiceif.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
@@ -616,6 +616,7 @@ finddev_special(
 
     // assert(third && *third == NULL); for all invocations
     err = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, &type, devptr, name);
+    err = *devptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
     if (err == OK) {
         *device_or_model = 0;
         return (type);
@@ -1218,6 +1219,7 @@ finddev(CKTcircuit *ckt, char *name, GENinstance **devptr, GENmodel **modptr)
 
     // assert(third && *third == NULL); for all invocations
     err = ft_sim->findInstance (ckt, &type, devptr, name);
+    err = *devptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
     if (err == OK)
         return (type);
 
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
index 3e274765e..515bc6426 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/noisean.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ NOISEan (CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if (code != -1) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         error = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &inst, job->input);
+        error = inst ? OK : E_NODEV;
 	if (!error && !((VSRCinstance *)inst)->VSRCacGiven) {
 	    errMsg = TMALLOC(char, strlen(noacinput) + 1);
 	    strcpy(errMsg,noacinput);
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ NOISEan (CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if (code != -1 && inst==NULL) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         error = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &inst, job->input);
+        error = inst ? OK : E_NODEV;
         if (error) {
 	    /* XXX ??? */
             SPfrontEnd->IFerror (ERR_WARNING,
diff --git a/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c b/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
index 5fe9d3f5e..4a811d8d0 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/analysis/tfanal.c
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ TFanal(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if(Itype != -1) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         error = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &ptr, job->TFinSrc);
+        error = ptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
         if(error ==0) {
             job->TFinIsI = 1;
             job->TFinIsV = 0;
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ TFanal(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
     if( (Vtype != -1) && (ptr==NULL) ) {
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         error = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &ptr, job->TFinSrc);
+        error = ptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
         job->TFinIsV = 1;
         job->TFinIsI = 0;
         if(error !=0) {
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
index a113a5763..9918a1eda 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/cktcrte.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ CKTcrtElt(CKTcircuit *ckt, GENmodel *modPtr, GENinstance **inInstPtr, IFuid name
 
     // assert(third && *third == NULL);
     error = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, &instPtr, name);
+    error = instPtr ? OK : E_NODEV;
 
     if (error == OK) { 
         if (inInstPtr)
diff --git a/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c b/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
index f43654fca..0c10e20b7 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/devices/ind/mutsetup.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ MUTsetup(SMPmatrix *matrix, GENmodel *inModel, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *states)
 
             // assert(third);
             error = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, (GENinstance **) &(here->MUTind1), here->MUTindName1);
+            error = here->MUTind1 ? OK : E_NODEV;
             if(error) {
                 IFuid namarray[2];
                 namarray[0]=here->MUTname;
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ MUTsetup(SMPmatrix *matrix, GENmodel *inModel, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *states)
             }
             // assert(third);
             error = CKTfndDev(ckt, NULL, (GENinstance **) &(here->MUTind2), here->MUTindName2);
+            error = here->MUTind2 ? OK : E_NODEV;
             if(error) {
                 IFuid namarray[2];
                 namarray[0]=here->MUTname;
diff --git a/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c b/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
index 4878a9536..29cfedc9f 100644
--- a/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
+++ b/src/spicelib/parser/inpaname.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ INPaName(char *parm, IFvalue * val, CKTcircuit *ckt, int *dev, char *devnam,
      */
     // assert(third) for all invocations
     error = sim->findInstance (ckt, dev, fast, devnam);
+    error = *fast ? OK : E_NODEV;
     if (error)
 	return (error);
 
diff --git a/src/tclspice.c b/src/tclspice.c
index f03d3f287..3157903ad 100644
--- a/src/tclspice.c
+++ b/src/tclspice.c
@@ -1396,6 +1396,7 @@ get_mod_param TCL_CMDPROCARGS(clientData, interp, argc, argv)
     INPretrieve(&name, ft_curckt->ci_symtab);
     // assert(third && *third == NULL);
     err = ft_sim->findInstance (ft_curckt->ci_ckt, &typecode, &devptr, name);
+    err = devptr ? OK : E_NODEV;
     if (err != OK) {
         typecode = -1;
         devptr   = NULL;
diff --git a/src/unsupported/snstart.c b/src/unsupported/snstart.c
index 389457415..0909f1d40 100644
--- a/src/unsupported/snstart.c
+++ b/src/unsupported/snstart.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ SENstartup(CKTcircuit *ckt, int restart)
 
         // assert(third && *third == NULL);
         err = CKTfndDev(ckt, &type, &fast, ckt->CKTsenInfo->SENdevices[i]);
+        err = fast ? OK : E_NODEV;
         if (err != OK)
             return err;