diff --git a/pkg/hive/clusterimageset.go b/pkg/hive/clusterimageset.go
index ee10448e9..1a110debf 100644
--- a/pkg/hive/clusterimageset.go
+++ b/pkg/hive/clusterimageset.go
@@ -246,9 +246,7 @@ func (builder *ClusterImageSetBuilder) WithReleaseImage(image string) *ClusterIm
 		glog.V(100).Infof("The clusterimageset releaseImage is empty")
 
 		builder.errorMsg = "cannot set releaseImage to empty string"
-	}
 
-	if builder.errorMsg != "" {
 		return builder
 	}
 
@@ -297,13 +295,13 @@ func (builder *ClusterImageSetBuilder) validate() (bool, error) {
 	if builder.Definition == nil {
 		glog.V(100).Infof("The %s is undefined", resourceCRD)
 
-		builder.errorMsg = msg.UndefinedCrdObjectErrString(resourceCRD)
+		return false, fmt.Errorf(msg.UndefinedCrdObjectErrString(resourceCRD))
 	}
 
 	if builder.apiClient == nil {
 		glog.V(100).Infof("The %s builder apiclient is nil", resourceCRD)
 
-		builder.errorMsg = fmt.Sprintf("%s builder cannot have nil apiClient", resourceCRD)
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("%s builder cannot have nil apiClient", resourceCRD)
 	}
 
 	if builder.errorMsg != "" {