diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 3d7a8155..2277068d 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -909,8 +909,7 @@ func (c *Client[TTx]) Start(ctx context.Context) error {
 		// available, the client appears to have started even though it's completely
 		// non-functional. Here we try to make an initial assessment of health and
 		// return quickly in case of an apparent problem.
-		_, err := c.driver.GetExecutor().Exec(fetchCtx, "SELECT 1")
-		if err != nil {
+		if err := c.driver.GetExecutor().Exec(fetchCtx, "SELECT 1"); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error making initial connection to database: %w", err)
 		}
 
diff --git a/cmd/river/riverbench/river_bench.go b/cmd/river/riverbench/river_bench.go
index aa2e1863..e5a0d868 100644
--- a/cmd/river/riverbench/river_bench.go
+++ b/cmd/river/riverbench/river_bench.go
@@ -486,14 +486,14 @@ func (b *Benchmarker[TTx]) resetJobsTable(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	switch b.driver.DatabaseName() {
 	case "postgres":
-		if _, err := b.driver.GetExecutor().Exec(ctx, "VACUUM FULL river_job"); err != nil {
+		if err := b.driver.GetExecutor().Exec(ctx, "VACUUM FULL river_job"); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error vacuuming: %w", err)
 		}
 	case "sqlite":
 		// SQLite doesn't support `VACUUM FULL`, nor does it support vacuuming
 		// on a per-table basis. `VACUUM` vacuums the entire schema, which is
 		// okay in this case.
-		if _, err := b.driver.GetExecutor().Exec(ctx, "VACUUM"); err != nil {
+		if err := b.driver.GetExecutor().Exec(ctx, "VACUUM"); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("error vacuuming: %w", err)
 		}
 	default:
diff --git a/internal/riverinternaltest/riverdrivertest/riverdrivertest.go b/internal/riverinternaltest/riverdrivertest/riverdrivertest.go
index 9c305e7a..810a203f 100644
--- a/internal/riverinternaltest/riverdrivertest/riverdrivertest.go
+++ b/internal/riverinternaltest/riverdrivertest/riverdrivertest.go
@@ -459,8 +459,7 @@ func Exercise[TTx any](ctx context.Context, t *testing.T,
 
 			exec, _ := setup(ctx, t)
 
-			_, err := exec.Exec(ctx, "SELECT 1 + 2")
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, exec.Exec(ctx, "SELECT 1 + 2"))
 		})
 
 		t.Run("WithArgs", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -468,8 +467,7 @@ func Exercise[TTx any](ctx context.Context, t *testing.T,
 
 			exec, _ := setup(ctx, t)
 
-			_, err := exec.Exec(ctx, "SELECT $1 || $2", "foo", "bar")
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NoError(t, exec.Exec(ctx, "SELECT $1 || $2", "foo", "bar"))
 		})
 	})
 
diff --git a/internal/util/dbutil/db_util_test.go b/internal/util/dbutil/db_util_test.go
index 7f16404a..2c9f9fa3 100644
--- a/internal/util/dbutil/db_util_test.go
+++ b/internal/util/dbutil/db_util_test.go
@@ -20,9 +20,7 @@ func TestWithTx(t *testing.T) {
 	driver := riverpgxv5.New(nil)
 
 	err := dbutil.WithTx(ctx, driver.UnwrapExecutor(tx), func(ctx context.Context, execTx riverdriver.ExecutorTx) error {
-		_, err := execTx.Exec(ctx, "SELECT 1")
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
+		require.NoError(t, execTx.Exec(ctx, "SELECT 1"))
 		return nil
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -36,9 +34,7 @@ func TestWithTxV(t *testing.T) {
 	driver := riverpgxv5.New(nil)
 
 	ret, err := dbutil.WithTxV(ctx, driver.UnwrapExecutor(tx), func(ctx context.Context, execTx riverdriver.ExecutorTx) (int, error) {
-		_, err := execTx.Exec(ctx, "SELECT 1")
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
+		require.NoError(t, execTx.Exec(ctx, "SELECT 1"))
 		return 7, nil
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
diff --git a/riverdriver/river_driver_interface.go b/riverdriver/river_driver_interface.go
index b84b06a2..c5d4bb86 100644
--- a/riverdriver/river_driver_interface.go
+++ b/riverdriver/river_driver_interface.go
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ type Executor interface {
 	ColumnExists(ctx context.Context, params *ColumnExistsParams) (bool, error)
 
 	// Exec executes raw SQL. Used for migrations.
-	Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) (struct{}, error)
+	Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) error
 
 	JobCancel(ctx context.Context, params *JobCancelParams) (*rivertype.JobRow, error)
 	JobCountByState(ctx context.Context, params *JobCountByStateParams) (int, error)
diff --git a/riverdriver/riverdatabasesql/river_database_sql_driver.go b/riverdriver/riverdatabasesql/river_database_sql_driver.go
index 70e8ee57..6313b98c 100644
--- a/riverdriver/riverdatabasesql/river_database_sql_driver.go
+++ b/riverdriver/riverdatabasesql/river_database_sql_driver.go
@@ -134,9 +134,9 @@ func (e *Executor) ColumnExists(ctx context.Context, params *riverdriver.ColumnE
 	return exists, interpretError(err)
 }
 
-func (e *Executor) Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) (struct{}, error) {
+func (e *Executor) Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) error {
 	_, err := e.dbtx.ExecContext(ctx, sql, args...)
-	return struct{}{}, interpretError(err)
+	return interpretError(err)
 }
 
 func (e *Executor) JobCancel(ctx context.Context, params *riverdriver.JobCancelParams) (*rivertype.JobRow, error) {
@@ -909,8 +909,7 @@ func (t *ExecutorSubTx) Begin(ctx context.Context) (riverdriver.ExecutorTx, erro
 	}
 
 	nextSavepointNum := t.savepointNum + 1
-	_, err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("SAVEPOINT %s%02d", savepointPrefix, nextSavepointNum))
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("SAVEPOINT %s%02d", savepointPrefix, nextSavepointNum)); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -926,8 +925,7 @@ func (t *ExecutorSubTx) Commit(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	// Release destroys a savepoint, keeping all the effects of commands that
 	// were run within it (so it's effectively COMMIT for savepoints).
-	_, err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("RELEASE %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum))
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("RELEASE %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -941,8 +939,7 @@ func (t *ExecutorSubTx) Rollback(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return errors.New("tx is closed") // mirrors pgx's behavior for this condition
 	}
 
-	_, err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("ROLLBACK TO %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum))
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("ROLLBACK TO %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/riverdriver/riverpgxv5/river_pgx_v5_driver.go b/riverdriver/riverpgxv5/river_pgx_v5_driver.go
index 6d87e7d1..f816b855 100644
--- a/riverdriver/riverpgxv5/river_pgx_v5_driver.go
+++ b/riverdriver/riverpgxv5/river_pgx_v5_driver.go
@@ -143,9 +143,9 @@ func (e *Executor) ColumnExists(ctx context.Context, params *riverdriver.ColumnE
 	return exists, interpretError(err)
 }
 
-func (e *Executor) Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) (struct{}, error) {
+func (e *Executor) Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) error {
 	_, err := e.dbtx.Exec(ctx, sql, args...)
-	return struct{}{}, interpretError(err)
+	return interpretError(err)
 }
 
 func (e *Executor) JobCancel(ctx context.Context, params *riverdriver.JobCancelParams) (*rivertype.JobRow, error) {
diff --git a/riverdriver/riversqlite/river_sqlite_driver.go b/riverdriver/riversqlite/river_sqlite_driver.go
index f6ed09a0..138c9e7d 100644
--- a/riverdriver/riversqlite/river_sqlite_driver.go
+++ b/riverdriver/riversqlite/river_sqlite_driver.go
@@ -182,9 +182,9 @@ func (e *Executor) ColumnExists(ctx context.Context, params *riverdriver.ColumnE
 	return exists > 0, nil
 }
 
-func (e *Executor) Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) (struct{}, error) {
+func (e *Executor) Exec(ctx context.Context, sql string, args ...any) error {
 	_, err := e.dbtx.ExecContext(ctx, sql, args...)
-	return struct{}{}, interpretError(err)
+	return interpretError(err)
 }
 
 func (e *Executor) JobCancel(ctx context.Context, params *riverdriver.JobCancelParams) (*rivertype.JobRow, error) {
@@ -1256,8 +1256,7 @@ func (t *ExecutorSubTx) Begin(ctx context.Context) (riverdriver.ExecutorTx, erro
 	}
 
 	nextSavepointNum := t.savepointNum + 1
-	_, err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("SAVEPOINT %s%02d", savepointPrefix, nextSavepointNum))
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("SAVEPOINT %s%02d", savepointPrefix, nextSavepointNum)); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -1276,8 +1275,7 @@ func (t *ExecutorSubTx) Commit(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	// Release destroys a savepoint, keeping all the effects of commands that
 	// were run within it (so it's effectively COMMIT for savepoints).
-	_, err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("RELEASE %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum))
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("RELEASE %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -1291,8 +1289,7 @@ func (t *ExecutorSubTx) Rollback(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return errors.New("tx is closed") // mirrors pgx's behavior for this condition
 	}
 
-	_, err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("ROLLBACK TO %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum))
-	if err != nil {
+	if err := t.Exec(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("ROLLBACK TO %s%02d", savepointPrefix, t.savepointNum)); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/rivermigrate/river_migrate.go b/rivermigrate/river_migrate.go
index fb70afc1..503e8b5d 100644
--- a/rivermigrate/river_migrate.go
+++ b/rivermigrate/river_migrate.go
@@ -602,8 +602,7 @@ func (m *Migrator[TTx]) applyMigrations(ctx context.Context, exec riverdriver.Ex
 			// a commit on a preexisting operation (such as adding an enum value to be
 			// used in an immutable function) cannot succeed.
 			err := dbutil.WithTx(ctx, exec, func(ctx context.Context, exec riverdriver.ExecutorTx) error {
-				_, err := exec.Exec(ctx, sql)
-				if err != nil {
+				if err := exec.Exec(ctx, sql); err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("error applying version %03d [%s]: %w",
 						versionBundle.Version, strings.ToUpper(string(direction)), err)
 				}
diff --git a/rivermigrate/river_migrate_test.go b/rivermigrate/river_migrate_test.go
index 276834a4..d9588c46 100644
--- a/rivermigrate/river_migrate_test.go
+++ b/rivermigrate/river_migrate_test.go
@@ -972,8 +972,7 @@ func buildTestMigrationsBundle(t *testing.T) *testMigrationsBundle {
 // continue to use the original transaction.
 func dbExecError(ctx context.Context, exec riverdriver.Executor, sql string) error {
 	return dbutil.WithTx(ctx, exec, func(ctx context.Context, exec riverdriver.ExecutorTx) error {
-		_, err := exec.Exec(ctx, sql)
-		return err
+		return exec.Exec(ctx, sql)
 	})
 }