diff --git a/release/Makefile.vm b/release/Makefile.vm
--- a/release/Makefile.vm
+++ b/release/Makefile.vm
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
 		-F ${"${_CW:MEC2-BUILDER}" != "":?ufs:${_FS}} \
 		-i ${.OBJDIR}/${_CW:tl}.${_FS}.${_FMT}.img -s ${VMSIZE} -f ${_FMT} \
 		${NO_ROOT:D-M ${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET}/METALOG} \
-		-S ${WORLDDIR} -o ${.OBJDIR}/${${_CW:tu}${_FS:tu}${_FMT:tu}IMAGE} -c ${${_CW:tu}CONF} || true
+		-S ${WORLDDIR} -o ${.OBJDIR}/${${_CW:tu}${_FS:tu}${_FMT:tu}IMAGE} -c ${${_CW:tu}CONF}
 	touch ${.TARGET}
 .   endfor
 .  endfor
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@
 CLEANFILES+=	${_CW:tl}.${_FMT}
 ${_CW:tu}${_FMT:tu}IMAGE=	${_CW:tl}.${_FMT}
 cw-${_CW:tl}-${_FMT}: cw-${_CW:tl}-${VMFS}-${_FMT}
-	ln -f ${${_CW:tu}${VMFS:tu}${_FMT:tu}IMAGE} ${${_CW:tu}${_FMT:tu}IMAGE} || true
+	ln -f ${${_CW:tu}${VMFS:tu}${_FMT:tu}IMAGE} ${${_CW:tu}${_FMT:tu}IMAGE}
 .  endfor
 
 # Targets without a disk format listed are the first disk format on the list
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
 		-C ${.CURDIR}/tools/vmimage.subr \
 		-d ${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET}-${FORMAT}-${FS} -F ${FS} \
 		-i ${.OBJDIR}/${FORMAT}.${FS}.img -s ${VMSIZE} -f ${FORMAT} \
-		-S ${WORLDDIR} -o ${.OBJDIR}/${VMBASE}.${FS}.${FORMAT} || true
+		-S ${WORLDDIR} -o ${.OBJDIR}/${VMBASE}.${FS}.${FORMAT}
 .  endfor
 . endfor
 .endif