diff --git a/daemon/dtmf.c b/daemon/dtmf.c
index 0f578dffa..c787d91aa 100644
--- a/daemon/dtmf.c
+++ b/daemon/dtmf.c
@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@
 
 static socket_t dtmf_log_sock;
 
-void dtmf_init(void) {
+bool dtmf_init(void) {
 	ilog(LOG_DEBUG, "log dtmf over ng %d", rtpe_config.dtmf_via_ng);
 	ilog(LOG_DEBUG, "no log injected dtmf %d", rtpe_config.dtmf_no_log_injects);
-	if (open_v46_socket(&dtmf_log_sock, SOCK_DGRAM))
+	if (open_v46_socket(&dtmf_log_sock, SOCK_DGRAM)) {
 		ilog(LOG_ERR, "Failed to open/connect DTMF logging socket: %s", strerror(errno));
+		return false;
+	}
+	return true;
 }
 
 static unsigned int dtmf_volume_from_dsp(int vol) {
diff --git a/daemon/main.c b/daemon/main.c
index 42e36fc1f..30d6224dd 100644
--- a/daemon/main.c
+++ b/daemon/main.c
@@ -1194,7 +1194,8 @@ static void init_everything(void) {
 	statistics_init();
 	codeclib_init(0);
 	media_player_init();
-	dtmf_init();
+	if (!dtmf_init())
+		die("DTMF init failed, see log");
 	jitter_buffer_init();
 	t38_init();
 	if (rtpe_config.mqtt_host && mqtt_init())
diff --git a/include/dtmf.h b/include/dtmf.h
index 6ac7e5830..70367f210 100644
--- a/include/dtmf.h
+++ b/include/dtmf.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ struct dtmf_event {
 	enum block_dtmf_mode block_dtmf; // block mode at the time of the event
 };
 
-void dtmf_init(void);
+bool dtmf_init(void);
 int dtmf_event_packet(struct media_packet *, str *, int, uint64_t ts); // 0 = ok, 1 = end event, -1 = error
 int dtmf_event_payload(str *, uint64_t *, uint64_t, struct dtmf_event *, dtmf_event_q *);
 void dtmf_event_free(struct dtmf_event *);