diff --git a/rbf.go b/rbf.go
index 449c35abe..d4a3d357d 100644
--- a/rbf.go
+++ b/rbf.go
@@ -284,15 +284,21 @@ func (tx *RBFTx) addOrRemove(index, field, view string, shard uint64, batched, r
 				// not first time through, write what we got.
 				if remove && (rc == nil || rc.N() == 0) {
 					err = tx.RemoveContainer(index, field, view, shard, lastHi)
-					panicOn(err)
+					if err != nil {
+						return 0, rbf.ErrTxFailedToRemoveContainer
+					}
 				} else {
 					err = tx.PutContainer(index, field, view, shard, lastHi, rc)
-					panicOn(err)
+					if err != nil {
+						return 0, rbf.ErrTxFailedToPutContainer
+					}
 				}
 			}
 			// get the next container
 			rc, err = tx.Container(index, field, view, shard, hi)
-			panicOn(err)
+			if err != nil {
+				return 0, rbf.ErrTxFailedToRetrieveContainer
+			}
 		} // else same container, keep adding bits to rct.
 		chng := false
 		// rc can be nil before, and nil after, in both Remove/Add below.
@@ -311,17 +317,23 @@ func (tx *RBFTx) addOrRemove(index, field, view string, shard uint64, batched, r
 	if remove {
 		if rc == nil || rc.N() == 0 {
 			err = tx.RemoveContainer(index, field, view, shard, hi)
-			panicOn(err)
+			if err != nil {
+				return 0, rbf.ErrTxFailedToRemoveContainer
+			}
 		} else {
 			err = tx.PutContainer(index, field, view, shard, hi, rc)
-			panicOn(err)
+			if err != nil {
+				return 0, rbf.ErrTxFailedToPutContainer
+			}
 		}
 	} else {
 		if rc == nil || rc.N() == 0 {
 			panic("there should be no way to have an empty bitmap AFTER an Add() operation")
 		}
 		err = tx.PutContainer(index, field, view, shard, hi, rc)
-		panicOn(err)
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, rbf.ErrTxFailedToPutContainer
+		}
 	}
 	return
 }
diff --git a/rbf/rbf.go b/rbf/rbf.go
index 365907121..31d5a0f31 100644
--- a/rbf/rbf.go
+++ b/rbf/rbf.go
@@ -111,12 +111,15 @@ const (
 )
 
 var (
-	ErrTxClosed           = errors.New("transaction closed")
-	ErrTxNotWritable      = errors.New("transaction not writable")
-	ErrBitmapNameRequired = errors.New("bitmap name required")
-	ErrBitmapNotFound     = errors.New("bitmap not found")
-	ErrBitmapExists       = errors.New("bitmap already exists")
-	ErrTxTooLarge         = errors.New("rbf tx too large")
+	ErrTxClosed                    = errors.New("transaction closed")
+	ErrTxNotWritable               = errors.New("transaction not writable")
+	ErrBitmapNameRequired          = errors.New("bitmap name required")
+	ErrBitmapNotFound              = errors.New("bitmap not found")
+	ErrBitmapExists                = errors.New("bitmap already exists")
+	ErrTxTooLarge                  = errors.New("rbf tx too large")
+	ErrTxFailedToRemoveContainer   = errors.New("rbf tx failed to remove container")
+	ErrTxFailedToPutContainer      = errors.New("rbf tx failed to put container")
+	ErrTxFailedToRetrieveContainer = errors.New("rbf tx failed to put container")
 )
 
 // Debug is just a temporary flag used for debugging.