diff --git a/init.go b/init.go
index 7bf2bb8..f006dbe 100644
--- a/init.go
+++ b/init.go
@@ -49,20 +49,17 @@ func checkMount(m mountSpec) checkResult {
 	if err == unix.ENOENT {
 		if err := unix.Mkdir(m.dir, 0o755); err != nil {
 			res.err = fmt.Errorf("creating %s: %w", m.dir, err)
-			res.fatal = true
 			return res
 		}
 		err = unix.Statfs(m.dir, &st)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	mounted, err := isMountRoot(m.dir)
 	if err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	if mounted && int64(st.Type) == m.magic {
@@ -71,7 +68,6 @@ func checkMount(m mountSpec) checkResult {
 	}
 	if err := unix.Mount(m.fstype, m.dir, m.fstype, m.flags, ""); err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	res.fixed = true
@@ -85,7 +81,7 @@ func mountFilesystems() []checkResult {
 	for _, m := range wantMounts {
 		res := checkMount(m)
 		out = append(out, res)
-		if res.fatal {
+		if res.err != nil {
 			return out
 		}
 	}
@@ -118,7 +114,6 @@ func waitForTouchscreen() checkResult {
 		}
 		if time.Since(start) >= touchTimeout {
 			res.err = fmt.Errorf("%w after %s", err, touchTimeout)
-			res.fatal = true
 			return res
 		}
 		time.Sleep(touchPoll)
@@ -128,7 +123,7 @@ func waitForTouchscreen() checkResult {
 func bootstrap() []checkResult {
 	out := mountFilesystems()
 	// /dev/input/event* only exists once devtmpfs is mounted above.
-	if out[len(out)-1].fatal {
+	if out[len(out)-1].err != nil {
 		return out
 	}
 	return append(out, waitForTouchscreen())
diff --git a/system.go b/system.go
index a1eb2c0..da5488e 100644
--- a/system.go
+++ b/system.go
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ func clearFlowRules(fd int, ifname string) checkResult {
 	locs, _, err := allRuleLocations(fd, ifname)
 	if err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	n := 0
@@ -136,7 +135,6 @@ func clearFlowRules(fd int, ifname string) checkResult {
 		}
 		if err := deleteRule(fd, ifname, loc); err != nil {
 			res.err = fmt.Errorf("deleting rule %d: %w", loc, err)
-			res.fatal = true
 			return res
 		}
 		n++
@@ -151,25 +149,21 @@ func checkFlowRules(fd int, ifname string, ethertypes []uint16) checkResult {
 	rings, err := rxRings(fd, ifname)
 	if err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	if uint64(len(ethertypes)) > rings {
 		res.err = fmt.Errorf("%d streams needs %d rx rings, only %d available",
 			len(ethertypes), len(ethertypes), rings)
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 
 	locs, capacity, err := allRuleLocations(fd, ifname)
 	if err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	if capacity < uint32(len(ethertypes)) {
 		res.err = fmt.Errorf("filter capacity %d is below %d streams", capacity, len(ethertypes))
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	taken := make(map[uint32]bool, len(locs))
@@ -185,7 +179,6 @@ func checkFlowRules(fd int, ifname string, ethertypes []uint16) checkResult {
 		if err := insertEtherRule(fd, ifname, et, uint64(i), next); err != nil {
 			res.err = fmt.Errorf("steering ethertype 0x%04x to queue %d at location %d: %w",
 				et, i, next, err)
-			res.fatal = true
 			return res
 		}
 		taken[next] = true
@@ -258,7 +251,6 @@ type checkResult struct {
 	item  string
 	state string
 	fixed bool
-	fatal bool
 	err   error
 }
 
@@ -285,18 +277,18 @@ func (r checkResult) detail() string {
 
 func reportChecks(title string, results []checkResult) error {
 	var rows [][]string
-	var fatal []string
+	var failed []string
 	for _, r := range results {
 		rows = append(rows, []string{r.item, r.status(), r.detail()})
-		if r.fatal {
-			fatal = append(fatal, r.item)
+		if r.err != nil {
+			failed = append(failed, r.item)
 		}
 	}
 	fmt.Println(renderBox(title,
 		[]string{"CHECK", "STATUS", "DETAIL"},
 		[]bool{false, false, false}, rows))
-	if len(fatal) > 0 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("cannot test with %s in this state", strings.Join(fatal, ", "))
+	if len(failed) > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot test with %s in this state", strings.Join(failed, ", "))
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -462,7 +454,6 @@ func checkGovernor(want string) checkResult {
 	paths, err := filepath.Glob("/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor")
 	if err != nil || len(paths) == 0 {
 		res.err = fmt.Errorf("no cpufreq governors found")
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	var wrong []string
@@ -471,7 +462,6 @@ func checkGovernor(want string) checkResult {
 		b, err := os.ReadFile(p)
 		if err != nil {
 			res.err = err
-			res.fatal = true
 			return res
 		}
 		got := strings.TrimSpace(string(b))
@@ -492,7 +482,6 @@ func checkGovernor(want string) checkResult {
 		if err := os.WriteFile(p, []byte(want), 0o644); err != nil {
 			res.err = err
 			res.state = fmt.Sprintf("could not set %s", p)
-			res.fatal = true
 			return res
 		}
 	}
@@ -509,7 +498,6 @@ func checkLinkUp(fd int, ifname string) checkResult {
 		uintptr(unix.SIOCGIFFLAGS), uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&ifr)))
 	if errno != 0 {
 		res.err = errno
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	if ifr.flags&unix.IFF_UP != 0 {
@@ -522,7 +510,6 @@ func checkLinkUp(fd int, ifname string) checkResult {
 	if errno != 0 {
 		res.err = errno
 		res.state = "could not set IFF_UP"
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	res.fixed = true
@@ -535,7 +522,6 @@ func checkCoalesce(fd int, ifname string, rxUsecs, txUsecs uint32) checkResult {
 	ec, err := getCoalesce(fd, ifname)
 	if err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	desc := func(e ethtoolCoalesce) string {
@@ -556,7 +542,6 @@ func checkCoalesce(fd int, ifname string, rxUsecs, txUsecs uint32) checkResult {
 	if err := ethtoolCall(fd, ifname, unsafe.Pointer(&ec)); err != nil {
 		res.err = err
 		res.state = "could not set"
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	res.fixed = true
@@ -569,7 +554,6 @@ func checkRings(fd int, ifname string, rxWant, txWant uint32) checkResult {
 	rp, err := getRings(fd, ifname)
 	if err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	rx := min(rxWant, rp.rxMaxPending)
@@ -585,7 +569,6 @@ func checkRings(fd int, ifname string, rxWant, txWant uint32) checkResult {
 	if err := ethtoolCall(fd, ifname, unsafe.Pointer(&rp)); err != nil {
 		res.err = err
 		res.state = "could not set"
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	res.fixed = true
@@ -596,7 +579,7 @@ func checkRings(fd int, ifname string, rxWant, txWant uint32) checkResult {
 func withIoctlSocket(fn func(fd int) []checkResult) []checkResult {
 	fd, err := unix.Socket(unix.AF_INET, unix.SOCK_DGRAM, 0)
 	if err != nil {
-		return []checkResult{{item: "ioctl socket", err: err, fatal: true}}
+		return []checkResult{{item: "ioctl socket", err: err}}
 	}
 	defer unix.Close(fd)
 	return fn(fd)
diff --git a/ts.go b/ts.go
index adf3a6e..1991a6d 100644
--- a/ts.go
+++ b/ts.go
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ func checkTimestamping(fd int, ifname string) checkResult {
 	var have hwtstampConfig
 	if err := hwtstampCall(unix.SIOCGHWTSTAMP, &have); err != nil {
 		res.err = err
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	if have.txType == hwtstampTxOn && have.rxFilter == hwtstampFilterAll {
@@ -54,12 +53,10 @@ func checkTimestamping(fd int, ifname string) checkResult {
 	if err := hwtstampCall(unix.SIOCSHWTSTAMP, &want); err != nil {
 		res.err = err
 		res.state = "could not set"
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	if want.txType != hwtstampTxOn || want.rxFilter != hwtstampFilterAll {
 		res.err = fmt.Errorf("driver applied %s instead", desc(want))
-		res.fatal = true
 		return res
 	}
 	res.fixed = true