diff --git a/source/request-response/request_response_client.c b/source/request-response/request_response_client.c
index 7b43f452..a692e813 100644
--- a/source/request-response/request_response_client.c
+++ b/source/request-response/request_response_client.c
@@ -218,6 +218,9 @@ static struct aws_mqtt_request_response_client *s_aws_mqtt_request_response_clie
      * initialize can't fail by checking its options for validity now.
      */
     if (!aws_rr_subscription_manager_are_options_valid(&sm_options)) {
+        AWS_LOGF_ERROR(
+            AWS_LS_MQTT_REQUEST_RESPONSE, "(static) request response client creation failed - invalid client options");
+        aws_raise_error(AWS_ERROR_INVALID_ARGUMENT);
         return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -311,6 +314,10 @@ struct aws_mqtt_request_response_client *aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new_fr
     struct aws_mqtt_request_response_client *rr_client =
         s_aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new(allocator, options, aws_mqtt_client_connection_get_event_loop(client));
 
+    if (rr_client == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     struct aws_mqtt_protocol_adapter_options adapter_options = {
         .subscription_event_callback = s_aws_rr_client_protocol_adapter_subscription_event_callback,
         .incoming_publish_callback = s_aws_rr_client_protocol_adapter_incoming_publish_callback,
@@ -344,6 +351,10 @@ struct aws_mqtt_request_response_client *aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new_fr
     struct aws_mqtt_request_response_client *rr_client =
         s_aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new(allocator, options, client->loop);
 
+    if (rr_client == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
     struct aws_mqtt_protocol_adapter_options adapter_options = {
         .subscription_event_callback = s_aws_rr_client_protocol_adapter_subscription_event_callback,
         .incoming_publish_callback = s_aws_rr_client_protocol_adapter_incoming_publish_callback,
diff --git a/tests/request-response/request_response_client_tests.c b/tests/request-response/request_response_client_tests.c
index 633ee42b..226efdf0 100644
--- a/tests/request-response/request_response_client_tests.c
+++ b/tests/request-response/request_response_client_tests.c
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ enum rr_test_client_protocol {
 struct aws_rr_client_test_fixture {
     struct aws_allocator *allocator;
 
-    struct aws_mqtt_request_response_client *client;
+    struct aws_mqtt_request_response_client *rr_client;
 
     enum rr_test_client_protocol test_protocol;
     union {
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ static int s_aws_rr_client_test_fixture_init_from_mqtt5(
     client_options.terminated_callback = s_aws_rr_client_test_fixture_on_terminated;
     client_options.user_data = fixture;
 
-    fixture->client = aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new_from_mqtt5_client(
+    fixture->rr_client = aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new_from_mqtt5_client(
         allocator, fixture->client_test_fixture.mqtt5_test_fixture.client, &client_options);
-    AWS_FATAL_ASSERT(fixture->client != NULL);
+    AWS_FATAL_ASSERT(fixture->rr_client != NULL);
 
     aws_mqtt5_client_start(fixture->client_test_fixture.mqtt5_test_fixture.client);
 
@@ -140,8 +140,9 @@ static int s_aws_rr_client_test_fixture_init_from_mqtt311(
 
     struct aws_mqtt_client_connection *mqtt_client = fixture->client_test_fixture.mqtt311_test_fixture.mqtt_connection;
 
-    fixture->client = aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new_from_mqtt311_client(allocator, mqtt_client, &client_options);
-    AWS_FATAL_ASSERT(fixture->client != NULL);
+    fixture->rr_client =
+        aws_mqtt_request_response_client_new_from_mqtt311_client(allocator, mqtt_client, &client_options);
+    AWS_FATAL_ASSERT(fixture->rr_client != NULL);
 
     struct aws_mqtt_connection_options connection_options = {
         .user_data = &fixture->client_test_fixture.mqtt311_test_fixture,
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ static bool s_rr_client_test_fixture_terminated(void *context) {
 }
 
 static void s_aws_rr_client_test_fixture_clean_up(struct aws_rr_client_test_fixture *fixture) {
-    aws_mqtt_request_response_client_release(fixture->client);
+    aws_mqtt_request_response_client_release(fixture->rr_client);
 
     aws_mutex_lock(&fixture->lock);
     aws_condition_variable_wait_pred(&fixture->signal, &fixture->lock, s_rr_client_test_fixture_terminated, fixture);