diff --git a/dev-tools/omicron-dev/src/bin/omicron-dev.rs b/dev-tools/omicron-dev/src/bin/omicron-dev.rs
index 3caa11fdd9..0ab4987f0a 100644
--- a/dev-tools/omicron-dev/src/bin/omicron-dev.rs
+++ b/dev-tools/omicron-dev/src/bin/omicron-dev.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 //! Developer tool for easily running bits of Omicron
 
-use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context};
+use anyhow::{bail, Context};
 use camino::Utf8Path;
 use camino::Utf8PathBuf;
 use clap::Args;
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
         OmicronDb::CertCreate { ref args } => cmd_cert_create(args).await,
     };
     if let Err(error) = result {
-        fatal(CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(error)));
+        fatal(CmdError::Failure(error));
     }
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/sled-agent/src/bin/sled-agent-sim.rs b/sled-agent/src/bin/sled-agent-sim.rs
index 13146b0060..ee0ebda71e 100644
--- a/sled-agent/src/bin/sled-agent-sim.rs
+++ b/sled-agent/src/bin/sled-agent-sim.rs
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ async fn do_run() -> Result<(), CmdError> {
         (Some(cert_path), Some(key_path)) => {
             let cert_bytes = std::fs::read_to_string(&cert_path)
                 .with_context(|| format!("read {:?}", &cert_path))
-                .map_err(|e| CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(e)))?;
+                .map_err(CmdError::Failure)?;
             let key_bytes = std::fs::read_to_string(&key_path)
                 .with_context(|| format!("read {:?}", &key_path))
-                .map_err(|e| CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(e)))?;
+                .map_err(CmdError::Failure)?;
             Some(NexusTypes::Certificate { cert: cert_bytes, key: key_bytes })
         }
         _ => {
@@ -145,7 +145,5 @@ async fn do_run() -> Result<(), CmdError> {
         tls_certificate,
     };
 
-    run_standalone_server(&config, &rss_args)
-        .await
-        .map_err(|e| CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(e)))
+    run_standalone_server(&config, &rss_args).await.map_err(CmdError::Failure)
 }
diff --git a/sp-sim/src/bin/sp-sim.rs b/sp-sim/src/bin/sp-sim.rs
index 85950c9f88..ee0dd3b70c 100644
--- a/sp-sim/src/bin/sp-sim.rs
+++ b/sp-sim/src/bin/sp-sim.rs
@@ -29,12 +29,10 @@ async fn do_run() -> Result<(), CmdError> {
     let config = Config::from_file(args.config_file_path)
         .map_err(|e| CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(e)))?;
 
-    let log =
-        sp_sim::logger(&config).map_err(|e| CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(e)))?;
+    let log = sp_sim::logger(&config).map_err(CmdError::Failure)?;
 
-    let _rack = SimRack::start(&config, &log)
-        .await
-        .map_err(|e| CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(e)))?;
+    let _rack =
+        SimRack::start(&config, &log).await.map_err(CmdError::Failure)?;
 
     // for now, do nothing except let the spawned tasks run. in the future
     // (or when used as a library), the expectation is that a caller can
diff --git a/wicketd/src/bin/wicketd.rs b/wicketd/src/bin/wicketd.rs
index f3ad23f135..887ac496e0 100644
--- a/wicketd/src/bin/wicketd.rs
+++ b/wicketd/src/bin/wicketd.rs
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ async fn do_run() -> Result<(), CmdError> {
                 Some(addr) => Some(Ipv6Subnet::new(addr)),
                 None if read_smf_config => {
                     let smf_values = SmfConfigValues::read_current()
-                        .map_err(|e| CmdError::Failure(anyhow!(e)))?;
+                        .map_err(CmdError::Failure)?;
                     smf_values.rack_subnet
                 }
                 None => None,