diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 545f0304c..072d0275c 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ if (WIN32)
 	set(LIBIIO_RC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/properties.rc)
 	configure_file(../properties.rc.cmakein ${LIBIIO_RC} @ONLY)
 endif()
+
+if (CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCC)
+	set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "${CMAKE_C_FLAGS} -DIIO_CHECK_RET")
+endif()
+
 add_executable(iio_genxml  iio_genxml.c   ${GETOPT_C_FILE} ${LIBIIO_RC})
 add_executable(iio_info    iio_info.c     ${GETOPT_C_FILE} ${LIBIIO_RC})
 add_executable(iio_attr    iio_attr.c gen_code.c    ${GETOPT_C_FILE} ${LIBIIO_RC})
diff --git a/tests/iio_adi_xflow_check.c b/tests/iio_adi_xflow_check.c
index 569895d12..ee9aeea5c 100644
--- a/tests/iio_adi_xflow_check.c
+++ b/tests/iio_adi_xflow_check.c
@@ -126,7 +126,11 @@ static void *monitor_thread_fn(void *data)
 	sleep(1);
 
 	/* Clear all status bits */
-	iio_device_reg_write(dev, 0x80000088, 0x6);
+	ret = iio_device_reg_write(dev, 0x80000088, 0x6);
+	if (ret) {
+		fprintf(stderr, "Failed to clearn DMA status register: %s\n",
+				strerror(-ret));
+	}
 
 	while (app_running) {
 		ret = iio_device_reg_read(dev, 0x80000088, &val);
@@ -145,8 +149,12 @@ static void *monitor_thread_fn(void *data)
 		}
 
 		/* Clear bits */
-		if (val)
-			iio_device_reg_write(dev, 0x80000088, val);
+		if (val) {
+			ret = iio_device_reg_write(dev, 0x80000088, val);
+			if (ret)
+				fprintf(stderr, "Failed to clearn DMA status register: %s\n",
+						strerror(-ret));
+		}
 		sleep(1);
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/iio_attr.c b/tests/iio_attr.c
index 70f11d9fb..cec667ce4 100644
--- a/tests/iio_attr.c
+++ b/tests/iio_attr.c
@@ -650,11 +650,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 		for (i = 0; i < nb_ctx_attrs; i++) {
 			const char *key, *value;
+			ssize_t ret;
 
-			iio_context_get_attr(ctx, i, &key, &value);
-			if (!attr_index || str_match(key, argv[attr_index], ignore_case)) {
-				printf("%s: %s\n", key, value);
-				gen_context_attr(key);
+			ret = iio_context_get_attr(ctx, i, &key, &value);
+			if (!ret) {
+				if (!attr_index || str_match(key, argv[attr_index], ignore_case)) {
+					printf("%s: %s\n", key, value);
+					gen_context_attr(key);
+				}
+			} else {
+				char *buf = xmalloc(BUF_SIZE);
+				iio_strerror(errno, buf, BUF_SIZE);
+				fprintf(stderr, "Unable to get context attributes: %s (%zd)\n",
+						buf, ret);
+				free(buf);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/tests/iio_info.c b/tests/iio_info.c
index 20af48319..3222d310b 100644
--- a/tests/iio_info.c
+++ b/tests/iio_info.c
@@ -106,7 +106,9 @@ static void scan(void)
 
 	ret = iio_scan_context_get_info_list(ctx, &info);
 	if (ret < 0) {
-		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to scan: %li\n", (long) ret);
+		char err_str[1024];
+		iio_strerror(-ret, err_str, sizeof(err_str));
+		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to scan: %s (%zd)\n", err_str, ret);
 		goto err_free_ctx;
 	}
 
@@ -295,8 +297,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (!ret)
 		printf("Backend version: %u.%u (git tag: %s)\n",
 				major, minor, git_tag);
-	else
-		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to get backend version: %i\n", ret);
+	else {
+		char err_str[1024];
+		iio_strerror(-ret, err_str, sizeof(err_str));
+		fprintf(stderr, "Unable to get backend version: %s (%i)\n", err_str, ret);
+	}
 
 	printf("Backend description string: %s\n",
 			iio_context_get_description(ctx));
@@ -308,8 +313,15 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	for (i = 0; i < nb_ctx_attrs; i++) {
 		const char *key, *value;
 
-		iio_context_get_attr(ctx, i, &key, &value);
-		printf("\t%s: %s\n", key, value);
+		ret = iio_context_get_attr(ctx, i, &key, &value);
+		if (ret == 0)
+			printf("\t%s: %s\n", key, value);
+		else {
+			char err_str[1024];
+			iio_strerror(-ret, err_str, sizeof(err_str));
+			fprintf(stderr, "\tUnable to read IIO context attributes: %s (%i)\n",
+					err_str, ret);
+		}
 	}
 
 	unsigned int nb_devices = iio_context_get_devices_count(ctx);
@@ -467,6 +479,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 						iio_device_get_id(trig),
 						name ? name : "");
 			}
+		} else if (ret == -ENOENT) {
+			printf("\t\tNo trigger on this device\n");
+		} else if (ret < 0) {
+			iio_strerror(-ret, buf, BUF_SIZE);
+			printf("ERROR: checking for trigger : %s (%i)\n", buf, ret);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/iio_readdev.c b/tests/iio_readdev.c
index 7bc7aac6f..ac9640aa9 100644
--- a/tests/iio_readdev.c
+++ b/tests/iio_readdev.c
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	size_t sample_size;
 	int timeout = -1;
 	bool scan_for_context = false;
+	ssize_t ret;
 
 	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "+hn:u:t:b:s:T:a",
 					options, &option_index)) != -1) {
@@ -316,8 +317,15 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	if (timeout >= 0)
-		iio_context_set_timeout(ctx, timeout);
+	if (timeout >= 0) {
+		ret = iio_context_set_timeout(ctx, timeout);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			char err_str[1024];
+			iio_strerror(-ret, err_str, sizeof(err_str));
+			fprintf(stderr, "IIO contexts set timeout failed : %s (%zd)\n",
+					err_str, ret);
+		}
+	}
 
 	dev = iio_context_find_device(ctx, argv[optind]);
 	if (!dev) {
@@ -346,11 +354,24 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		 * fail gracefully to remain compatible.
 		 */
 		if (iio_device_attr_write_longlong(trigger,
-				"sampling_frequency", DEFAULT_FREQ_HZ) < 0)
-			iio_device_attr_write_longlong(trigger,
+				"sampling_frequency", DEFAULT_FREQ_HZ) < 0) {
+			ret = iio_device_attr_write_longlong(trigger,
 				"frequency", DEFAULT_FREQ_HZ);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				char buf[256];
+				iio_strerror(-ret, buf, sizeof(buf));
+				fprintf(stderr, "sample rate not set : %s (%zd)\n",
+						buf, ret);
+			}
+		}
 
-		iio_device_set_trigger(dev, trigger);
+		ret = iio_device_set_trigger(dev, trigger);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			char buf[256];
+			iio_strerror(-ret, buf, sizeof(buf));
+			fprintf(stderr, "set triffer failed : %s (%zd)\n",
+					buf, ret);
+		}
 	}
 
 	nb_channels = iio_device_get_channels_count(dev);
@@ -427,7 +448,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 					quit_all(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 			}
 		} else {
-			iio_buffer_foreach_sample(buffer, print_sample, NULL);
+			ret = iio_buffer_foreach_sample(buffer, print_sample, NULL);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				char buf[256];
+				iio_strerror(-ret, buf, sizeof(buf));
+				fprintf(stderr, "buffer processing failed : %s (%d)\n",
+						buf, ret);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/tests/iio_writedev.c b/tests/iio_writedev.c
index b91bfa1c2..b2047dd0d 100644
--- a/tests/iio_writedev.c
+++ b/tests/iio_writedev.c
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int timeout = -1;
 	bool scan_for_context = false;
 	bool cyclic_buffer = false;
+	ssize_t ret;
 
 	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "+hn:u:t:b:s:T:ac",
 					options, &option_index)) != -1) {
@@ -329,8 +330,15 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	if (timeout >= 0)
-		iio_context_set_timeout(ctx, timeout);
+	if (timeout >= 0) {
+		ret = iio_context_set_timeout(ctx, timeout);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			 char err_str[1024];
+			 iio_strerror(-ret, err_str, sizeof(err_str));
+			 fprintf(stderr, "IIO contexts set timeout failed : %s (%zd)\n",
+					 err_str, ret);
+		}
+	}
 
 	dev = iio_context_find_device(ctx, argv[optind]);
 	if (!dev) {
@@ -359,11 +367,24 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		 * fail gracefully to remain compatible.
 		 */
 		if (iio_device_attr_write_longlong(trigger,
-				"sampling_frequency", DEFAULT_FREQ_HZ) < 0)
-			iio_device_attr_write_longlong(trigger,
+				"sampling_frequency", DEFAULT_FREQ_HZ) < 0) {
+			ret = iio_device_attr_write_longlong(trigger,
 				"frequency", DEFAULT_FREQ_HZ);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				char buf[256];
+				iio_strerror(-ret, buf, sizeof(buf));
+				fprintf(stderr, "sample rate not set : %s (%zd)\n",
+						buf, ret);
+			}
+		}
 
-		iio_device_set_trigger(dev, trigger);
+		ret = iio_device_set_trigger(dev, trigger);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			char buf[256];
+			iio_strerror(-ret, buf, sizeof(buf));
+			fprintf(stderr, "set triffer failed : %s (%zd)\n",
+					buf, ret);
+		}
 	}
 
 	nb_channels = iio_device_get_channels_count(dev);
@@ -426,7 +447,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 					quit_all(EXIT_SUCCESS);
 			}
 		} else {
-			iio_buffer_foreach_sample(buffer, read_sample, NULL);
+			ret = iio_buffer_foreach_sample(buffer, read_sample, NULL);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				char buf[256];
+				iio_strerror(-ret, buf, sizeof(buf));
+				fprintf(stderr, "buffer processing failed : %s (%zd)\n",
+						buf, ret);
+			}
 		}
 
 		int ret = iio_buffer_push(buffer);