diff --git a/src/goto-instrument/goto_instrument_parse_options.cpp b/src/goto-instrument/goto_instrument_parse_options.cpp
index 34fa97276c2..80f7d0b2491 100644
--- a/src/goto-instrument/goto_instrument_parse_options.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-instrument/goto_instrument_parse_options.cpp
@@ -898,10 +898,13 @@ void goto_instrument_parse_optionst::get_goto_program()
 {
   status() << "Reading GOTO program from `" << cmdline.args[0] << "'" << eom;
 
-  if(read_goto_binary(cmdline.args[0],
-    goto_model, get_message_handler()))
+  auto result = read_goto_binary(cmdline.args[0], get_message_handler());
+
+  if(!result.has_value())
     throw 0;
 
+  goto_model = std::move(result.value());
+
   config.set(cmdline);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.cpp b/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.cpp
index 18b22eb3c55..bc28f789493 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.cpp
+++ b/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,20 @@ bool read_goto_binary(
     filename, dest.symbol_table, dest.goto_functions, message_handler);
 }
 
+optionalt<goto_modelt>
+read_goto_binary(const std::string &filename, message_handlert &message_handler)
+{
+  goto_modelt dest;
+
+  if(read_goto_binary(
+       filename, dest.symbol_table, dest.goto_functions, message_handler))
+  {
+    return {};
+  }
+  else
+    return std::move(dest);
+}
+
 bool read_goto_binary(
   const std::string &filename,
   symbol_tablet &symbol_table,
diff --git a/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.h b/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.h
index 1cc60e13a37..802af17d648 100644
--- a/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.h
+++ b/src/goto-programs/read_goto_binary.h
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ Author: Daniel Kroening, kroening@kroening.com
 
 #include <string>
 
+#include <util/deprecate.h>
+#include <util/optional.h>
+
 class goto_functionst;
 class goto_modelt;
 class message_handlert;
@@ -25,11 +28,15 @@ bool read_goto_binary(
   goto_functionst &,
   message_handlert &);
 
+DEPRECATED("use two-parameter variant instead")
 bool read_goto_binary(
   const std::string &filename,
   goto_modelt &dest,
   message_handlert &);
 
+optionalt<goto_modelt>
+read_goto_binary(const std::string &filename, message_handlert &);
+
 bool is_goto_binary(const std::string &filename);
 
 bool read_object_and_link(