diff --git a/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer.go b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer.go
index 6194f0d..a60f352 100644
--- a/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer.go
+++ b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer.go
@@ -323,14 +323,23 @@
 	if err := proto.Unmarshal(stdout, &arsp); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent reply couldn't be unmarshaled: %w", err)
 	}
-	if !proto.Equal(&imsg, arsp.InitMessage) {
+	var successResp *apb.TakeoverSuccess
+	switch r := arsp.Result.(type) {
+	case *apb.TakeoverResponse_Error:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent returned error: %v", r.Error.Message)
+	case *apb.TakeoverResponse_Success:
+		successResp = r.Success
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent returned unknown result of type %T", arsp.Result)
+	}
+	if !proto.Equal(&imsg, successResp.InitMessage) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent did not send back the init message.")
 	}
-	if len(arsp.Key) != ed25519.PublicKeySize {
+	if len(successResp.Key) != ed25519.PublicKeySize {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("agent key length mismatch.")
 	}
-	klog.Infof("Started the agent (provider ID: %s, key: %s).", d.ID, hex.EncodeToString(arsp.Key))
-	return arsp.Key, nil
+	klog.Infof("Started the agent (provider ID: %s, key: %s).", d.ID, hex.EncodeToString(successResp.Key))
+	return successResp.Key, nil
 }
 
 // init initializes the server described by t, using BMDB session 'sess' to set
diff --git a/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer_test.go b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer_test.go
index f07341c..6e82b98 100644
--- a/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer_test.go
+++ b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/initializer_test.go
@@ -21,11 +21,9 @@
 
 // fakeSSHClient is an SSHClient that pretends to start an agent, but in reality
 // just responds with what an agent would respond on every execution attempt.
-type fakeSSHClient struct {
-}
+type fakeSSHClient struct{}
 
-type fakeSSHConnection struct {
-}
+type fakeSSHConnection struct{}
 
 func (f *fakeSSHClient) Dial(ctx context.Context, address, username string, sshkey ssh.Signer, timeout time.Duration) (SSHConnection, error) {
 	return &fakeSSHConnection{}, nil
@@ -43,8 +41,10 @@
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("while generating agent public key: %v", err)
 	}
 	arsp := apb.TakeoverResponse{
-		InitMessage: &aim,
-		Key:         pub,
+		Result: &apb.TakeoverResponse_Success{Success: &apb.TakeoverSuccess{
+			InitMessage: &aim,
+			Key:         pub,
+		}},
 	}
 	arspb, err := proto.Marshal(&arsp)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/test_agent/main.go b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/test_agent/main.go
index 5dd5ccd..8f29c30 100644
--- a/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/test_agent/main.go
+++ b/cloud/shepherd/equinix/manager/test_agent/main.go
@@ -36,8 +36,10 @@
 		return
 	}
 	arsp := apb.TakeoverResponse{
-		InitMessage: &aim,
-		Key:         pub,
+		Result: &apb.TakeoverResponse_Success{Success: &apb.TakeoverSuccess{
+			InitMessage: &aim,
+			Key:         pub,
+		}},
 	}
 	arspb, err := proto.Marshal(&arsp)
 	if err != nil {