diff --git a/base/component/component.go b/base/component/component.go
index 161b70ad8..260d6658d 100644
--- a/base/component/component.go
+++ b/base/component/component.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 type Component interface {
 	Base() *BaseComponent
 	Compare(Component) (bool, error)
-	WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error)
+	WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error)
 	RemoveFrom(dirPath string) error
 	DropDerivedValues()
 	LoadAndFill(*dataset.Dataset) error
diff --git a/base/component/kinds.go b/base/component/kinds.go
index d072dbe30..40b4c2d9d 100644
--- a/base/component/kinds.go
+++ b/base/component/kinds.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func (fc *FilesysComponent) IsEmpty() bool {
 }
 
 // WriteTo writes the component as a file to the directory
-func (fc *FilesysComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
+func (fc *FilesysComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error) {
 	return "", fmt.Errorf("cannot write filesys component")
 }
 
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (dc *DatasetComponent) Compare(compare Component) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 // WriteTo writes the component as a file to the directory
-func (dc *DatasetComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
+func (dc *DatasetComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error) {
 	return "", fmt.Errorf("cannot write dataset component")
 }
 
@@ -154,12 +154,12 @@ func (mc *MetaComponent) Compare(compare Component) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 // WriteTo writes the component as a file to the directory
-func (mc *MetaComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
+func (mc *MetaComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error) {
 	if mc.DisableSerialization {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("serialization is disabled")
 	}
-	if err := mc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
-		return "", err
+	if err = mc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 	// Okay to output an empty meta, we do so for `qri init`.
 	if mc.Value != nil {
@@ -239,9 +239,9 @@ func (sc *StructureComponent) Compare(compare Component) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 // WriteTo writes the component as a file to the directory
-func (sc *StructureComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
-	if err := sc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
-		return "", err
+func (sc *StructureComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error) {
+	if err = sc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 	if sc.Value != nil && !sc.Value.IsEmpty() {
 		return writeComponentFile(sc.Value, dirPath, "structure.json")
@@ -318,9 +318,9 @@ func (cc *CommitComponent) Compare(compare Component) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 // WriteTo writes the component as a file to the directory
-func (cc *CommitComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
-	if err := cc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
-		return "", err
+func (cc *CommitComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error) {
+	if err = cc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 	if cc.Value != nil && !cc.Value.IsEmpty() {
 		return writeComponentFile(cc.Value, dirPath, "commit.json")
@@ -494,11 +494,11 @@ func (bc *BodyComponent) StructuredData() (interface{}, error) {
 }
 
 // WriteTo writes the component as a file to the directory
-func (bc *BodyComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
+func (bc *BodyComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error) {
 	if bc.Value == nil {
-		err := bc.LoadAndFill(nil)
+		err = bc.LoadAndFill(nil)
 		if err != nil {
-			return "", err
+			return
 		}
 	}
 	body := bc.Value
@@ -510,7 +510,7 @@ func (bc *BodyComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
 		return "", err
 	}
 	bodyFilename := fmt.Sprintf("body.%s", bc.Format)
-	targetFile := filepath.Join(dirPath, bodyFilename)
+	targetFile = filepath.Join(dirPath, bodyFilename)
 	return targetFile, ioutil.WriteFile(targetFile, data, os.ModePerm)
 }
 
@@ -585,14 +585,14 @@ func (rc *ReadmeComponent) Compare(compare Component) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 // WriteTo writes the component as a file to the directory
-func (rc *ReadmeComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (string, error) {
-	if err := rc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
-		return "", err
+func (rc *ReadmeComponent) WriteTo(dirPath string) (targetFile string, err error) {
+	if err = rc.LoadAndFill(nil); err != nil {
+		return
 	}
 	if rc.Value != nil && !rc.Value.IsEmpty() {
-		targetFile := filepath.Join(dirPath, fmt.Sprintf("readme.%s", rc.Format))
-		if err := ioutil.WriteFile(targetFile, rc.Value.ScriptBytes, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
-			return targetFile, err
+		targetFile = filepath.Join(dirPath, fmt.Sprintf("readme.%s", rc.Format))
+		if err = ioutil.WriteFile(targetFile, rc.Value.ScriptBytes, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
+			return
 		}
 	}
 	return "", nil
diff --git a/fsi/fsi.go b/fsi/fsi.go
index 90800aa59..57f8796e5 100644
--- a/fsi/fsi.go
+++ b/fsi/fsi.go
@@ -93,16 +93,16 @@ func (fsi *FSI) LinkedRefs(offset, limit int) ([]repo.DatasetRef, error) {
 
 // CreateLink links a working directory to a dataset. Returns the reference alias, and a
 // rollback function if no error occurs
-func (fsi *FSI) CreateLink(dirPath, refStr string) (string, func(), error) {
-	nullFunc := func() {}
+func (fsi *FSI) CreateLink(dirPath, refStr string) (alias string, rollback func(), err error) {
+	rollback = func() {}
 
 	ref, err := repo.ParseDatasetRef(refStr)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", nullFunc, err
+		return "", rollback, err
 	}
 	err = repo.CanonicalizeDatasetRef(fsi.repo, &ref)
 	if err != nil && err != repo.ErrNotFound && err != repo.ErrNoHistory {
-		return ref.String(), nullFunc, err
+		return ref.String(), rollback, err
 	}
 
 	if stored, err := fsi.repo.GetRef(ref); err == nil {
@@ -110,20 +110,20 @@ func (fsi *FSI) CreateLink(dirPath, refStr string) (string, func(), error) {
 			// There is already a link for this dataset, see if that link still exists.
 			targetPath := filepath.Join(stored.FSIPath, QriRefFilename)
 			if _, err := os.Stat(targetPath); err == nil {
-				return "", nullFunc, fmt.Errorf("'%s' is already linked to %s", ref.AliasString(), stored.FSIPath)
+				return "", rollback, fmt.Errorf("'%s' is already linked to %s", ref.AliasString(), stored.FSIPath)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	ref.FSIPath = dirPath
 	if err = fsi.repo.PutRef(ref); err != nil {
-		return "", nullFunc, err
+		return "", rollback, err
 	}
 	// If future steps fail, remove the ref we just put
 	removeRefFunc := func() {
-		log.Debugf("removing repo.ref \"%s\" during rollback", ref)
+		log.Debugf("removing repo.ref %q during rollback", ref)
 		if err := fsi.repo.DeleteRef(ref); err != nil {
-			log.Debugf("error while removing repo.ref %s: \"%s\"", ref, err)
+			log.Debugf("error while removing repo.ref %q: %s", ref, err)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/fsi/init.go b/fsi/init.go
index 85caf30a7..44cdb1d66 100644
--- a/fsi/init.go
+++ b/fsi/init.go
@@ -41,8 +41,10 @@ func (fsi *FSI) InitDataset(p InitParams) (name string, err error) {
 		log.Debug("did rollback InitDataset due to error")
 	}
 	defer func() {
-		log.Debug("InitDataset rolling back...")
-		rollback()
+		if rollback != nil {
+			log.Debug("InitDataset rolling back...")
+			rollback()
+		}
 	}()
 
 	if p.Dir == "" {
@@ -76,9 +78,9 @@ func (fsi *FSI) InitDataset(p InitParams) (name string, err error) {
 			// steps fail.
 			rollback = concatFunc(
 				func() {
-					log.Debugf("removing directory \"%s\" during rollback", targetPath)
+					log.Debugf("removing directory %q during rollback", targetPath)
 					if err := os.Remove(targetPath); err != nil {
-						log.Debugf("error while removing directory %s: \"%s\"", targetPath, err)
+						log.Debugf("error while removing directory %q: %s", targetPath, err)
 					}
 				}, rollback)
 		}
@@ -174,9 +176,9 @@ func (fsi *FSI) InitDataset(p InitParams) (name string, err error) {
 			// If future steps fail, rollback the components that have been written
 			rollback = concatFunc(func() {
 				if wroteFile != "" {
-					log.Debugf("removing file \"%s\" during rollback", wroteFile)
+					log.Debugf("removing file %q during rollback", wroteFile)
 					if err := os.Remove(wroteFile); err != nil {
-						log.Debugf("error while removing file \"%s\": %s", wroteFile, err)
+						log.Debugf("error while removing file %q: %s", wroteFile, err)
 					}
 				}
 			}, rollback)
@@ -191,9 +193,8 @@ func (fsi *FSI) InitDataset(p InitParams) (name string, err error) {
 		return name, err
 	}
 
-	rollback = func() {
-		// Success, no need to rollback.
-	}
+	// Success, no need to rollback.
+	rollback = nil
 	return name, nil
 }