diff --git a/gio/gsettings.c b/gio/gsettings.c
index e56697d74..01d74af95 100644
--- a/gio/gsettings.c
+++ b/gio/gsettings.c
@@ -498,28 +498,18 @@ g_settings_constructed (GObject *object)
   const gchar *schema_path;
 
   settings->priv->schema = g_settings_schema_new (settings->priv->schema_name);
-
-  if (settings->priv->schema == NULL)
-    goto broken;
-
   schema_path = g_settings_schema_get_path (settings->priv->schema);
 
   if (settings->priv->path && schema_path && strcmp (settings->priv->path, schema_path) != 0)
-    {
-      g_critical ("settings object created with schema '%s' and path '%s', but "
-                  "path '%s' is specified by schema",
-                  settings->priv->schema_name, settings->priv->path, schema_path);
-      goto broken;
-    }
+    g_error ("settings object created with schema '%s' and path '%s', but "
+             "path '%s' is specified by schema",
+             settings->priv->schema_name, settings->priv->path, schema_path);
 
   if (settings->priv->path == NULL)
     {
       if (schema_path == NULL)
-        {
-          g_critical ("attempting to create schema '%s' without a path",
-                       settings->priv->schema_name);
-          goto broken;
-        }
+        g_error ("attempting to create schema '%s' without a path",
+                 settings->priv->schema_name);
 
       settings->priv->path = g_strdup (schema_path);
     }
@@ -532,19 +522,6 @@ g_settings_constructed (GObject *object)
                             settings->priv->main_context);
   g_settings_backend_subscribe (settings->priv->backend,
                                 settings->priv->path);
-  return;
-
-broken:
-  if (settings->priv->schema != NULL)
-    g_object_unref (settings->priv->schema);
-  settings->priv->schema = NULL;
-
-  g_free (settings->priv->path);
-  settings->priv->path = NULL;
-
-  if (settings->priv->backend != NULL)
-    g_object_unref (settings->priv->backend);
-  settings->priv->backend = NULL;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -916,7 +893,7 @@ endian_fixup (GVariant **value)
 #endif
 }
 
-static gboolean
+static void
 g_settings_get_key_info (GSettingsKeyInfo *info,
                          GSettings        *settings,
                          const gchar      *key)
@@ -925,8 +902,6 @@ g_settings_get_key_info (GSettingsKeyInfo *info,
   GVariant *data;
   guchar code;
 
-  g_return_val_if_fail (settings->priv->schema != NULL, FALSE);
-
   memset (info, 0, sizeof *info);
 
   iter = g_settings_schema_get_value (settings->priv->schema, key);
@@ -978,8 +953,6 @@ g_settings_get_key_info (GSettingsKeyInfo *info,
     }
 
   g_variant_iter_free (iter);
-
-  return TRUE;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1287,9 +1260,7 @@ g_settings_get_value (GSettings   *settings,
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_SETTINGS (settings), NULL);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, NULL);
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return NULL;
-
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
   value = g_settings_read_from_backend (&info);
 
   if (value == NULL)
@@ -1335,8 +1306,7 @@ g_settings_get_enum (GSettings   *settings,
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_SETTINGS (settings), -1);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, -1);
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return 0;
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
 
   if (!info.is_enum)
     {
@@ -1391,8 +1361,7 @@ g_settings_set_enum (GSettings   *settings,
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_SETTINGS (settings), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, FALSE);
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return FALSE;
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
 
   if (!info.is_enum)
     {
@@ -1448,8 +1417,7 @@ g_settings_get_flags (GSettings   *settings,
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_SETTINGS (settings), -1);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, -1);
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return 0;
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
 
   if (!info.is_flags)
     {
@@ -1505,8 +1473,7 @@ g_settings_set_flags (GSettings   *settings,
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_SETTINGS (settings), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, FALSE);
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return FALSE;
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
 
   if (!info.is_flags)
     {
@@ -1558,8 +1525,7 @@ g_settings_set_value (GSettings   *settings,
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_SETTINGS (settings), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, FALSE);
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return FALSE;
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
 
   if (!g_settings_type_check (&info, value))
     {
@@ -1711,8 +1677,7 @@ g_settings_get_mapped (GSettings           *settings,
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, NULL);
   g_return_val_if_fail (mapping != NULL, NULL);
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return FALSE;
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
 
   if ((value = g_settings_read_from_backend (&info)))
     {
@@ -2437,8 +2402,7 @@ g_settings_get_range (GSettings   *settings,
   const gchar *type;
   GVariant *range;
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return NULL;
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
 
   if (info.minimum)
     {
@@ -2488,9 +2452,7 @@ g_settings_range_check (GSettings   *settings,
   GSettingsKeyInfo info;
   gboolean good;
 
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key))
-    return FALSE;
-
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&info, settings, key);
   good = g_settings_type_check (&info, value) &&
          g_settings_key_info_range_check (&info, value);
   g_settings_free_key_info (&info);
@@ -2795,14 +2757,7 @@ g_settings_bind_with_mapping (GSettings               *settings,
   objectclass = G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (object);
 
   binding = g_slice_new0 (GSettingsBinding);
-  if (!g_settings_get_key_info (&binding->info, settings, key))
-    {
-      if (destroy)
-        (* destroy) (user_data);
-      g_slice_free (GSettingsBinding, binding);
-      return;
-    }
-
+  g_settings_get_key_info (&binding->info, settings, key);
   binding->object = object;
   binding->property = g_object_class_find_property (objectclass, property);
   binding->user_data = user_data;
diff --git a/gio/gsettingsschema.c b/gio/gsettingsschema.c
index 25d854191..c881ebe01 100644
--- a/gio/gsettingsschema.c
+++ b/gio/gsettingsschema.c
@@ -280,10 +280,7 @@ g_settings_schema_new (const gchar *name)
     }
 
   if (table == NULL)
-    {
-      g_critical ("Settings schema '%s' is not installed\n", name);
-      return NULL;
-    }
+    g_error ("Settings schema '%s' is not installed\n", name);
 
   schema = g_object_new (G_TYPE_SETTINGS_SCHEMA, NULL);
   schema->priv->name = g_strdup (name);
diff --git a/gio/tests/gsettings.c b/gio/tests/gsettings.c
index 2655ed704..b081508e0 100644
--- a/gio/tests/gsettings.c
+++ b/gio/tests/gsettings.c
@@ -1887,31 +1887,6 @@ test_get_range (void)
   g_object_unref (settings);
 }
 
-static gboolean
-ignore_criticals (const gchar    *log_domain,
-                  GLogLevelFlags  log_level,
-                  const gchar    *message,
-                  gpointer        user_data)
-{
-  return (log_level & G_LOG_LEVEL_MASK) != G_LOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL;
-}
-
-static void
-test_missing_schema (void)
-{
-  if (g_test_trap_fork (0, G_TEST_TRAP_SILENCE_STDERR))
-    {
-      GSettings *settings;
-
-      g_test_log_set_fatal_handler (ignore_criticals, NULL);
-      settings = g_settings_new ("schema.does.not.exist");
-      g_settings_get_value (settings, "some-key");
-      g_error ("i'm doing science and i'm still alive");
-    }
-  g_test_trap_assert_failed ();
-  g_test_trap_assert_stderr ("*still alive*");
-}
-
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -1996,7 +1971,6 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   g_test_add_func ("/gsettings/list-schemas", test_list_schemas);
   g_test_add_func ("/gsettings/mapped", test_get_mapped);
   g_test_add_func ("/gsettings/get-range", test_get_range);
-  g_test_add_func ("/gsettings/missing-schema", test_missing_schema);
 
   result = g_test_run ();