diff --git a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
index 4fbe3b4bb..15b55a8d7 100644
--- a/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
+++ b/deltachat-ffi/src/lib.rs
@@ -1563,7 +1563,13 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn dc_initiate_key_transfer(context: *mut dc_context_t) ->
     }
     let ffi_context = &*context;
     ffi_context
-        .with_inner(|ctx| dc_imex::dc_initiate_key_transfer(ctx))
+        .with_inner(|ctx| match dc_imex::dc_initiate_key_transfer(ctx) {
+            Ok(res) => res.strdup(),
+            Err(err) => {
+                error!(ctx, "dc_initiate_key_transfer(): {}", err);
+                ptr::null_mut()
+            }
+        })
         .unwrap_or_else(|_| ptr::null_mut())
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
index 9826b959b..d7c09286c 100644
--- a/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
+++ b/examples/repl/cmdline.rs
@@ -414,18 +414,13 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_cmdline(context: &Context, line: &str) -> Result<(), failure::E
                  ============================================="
             ),
         },
-        "initiate-key-transfer" => {
-            let setup_code = dc_initiate_key_transfer(context);
-            if !setup_code.is_null() {
-                println!(
-                    "Setup code for the transferred setup message: {}",
-                    as_str(setup_code),
-                );
-                free(setup_code as *mut libc::c_void);
-            } else {
-                bail!("Failed to generate setup code");
-            };
-        }
+        "initiate-key-transfer" => match dc_initiate_key_transfer(context) {
+            Ok(setup_code) => println!(
+                "Setup code for the transferred setup message: {}",
+                setup_code,
+            ),
+            Err(err) => bail!("Failed to generate setup code: {}", err),
+        },
         "get-setupcodebegin" => {
             ensure!(!arg1.is_empty(), "Argument <msg-id> missing.");
             let msg_id: u32 = arg1.parse()?;
diff --git a/src/dc_imex.rs b/src/dc_imex.rs
index 54c1e9aa3..5875fd772 100644
--- a/src/dc_imex.rs
+++ b/src/dc_imex.rs
@@ -75,11 +75,9 @@ pub fn dc_imex_has_backup(context: &Context, dir_name: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Resu
     }
 }
 
-pub unsafe fn dc_initiate_key_transfer(context: &Context) -> *mut libc::c_char {
+pub fn dc_initiate_key_transfer(context: &Context) -> Result<String> {
     let mut msg: Message;
-    if !dc_alloc_ongoing(context) {
-        return std::ptr::null_mut();
-    }
+    ensure!(dc_alloc_ongoing(context), "could not allocate ongoing");
     let setup_code = dc_create_setup_code(context);
     /* this may require a keypair to be created. this may take a second ... */
     if !context
@@ -149,7 +147,7 @@ pub unsafe fn dc_initiate_key_transfer(context: &Context) -> *mut libc::c_char {
     }
     dc_free_ongoing(context);
 
-    setup_code.strdup()
+    Ok(setup_code)
 }
 
 /// Renders HTML body of a setup file message.