diff --git a/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/keyvalue.go b/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/keyvalue.go
index ac38890..9298070 100644
--- a/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/keyvalue.go
+++ b/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/keyvalue.go
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@ var (
 
 type Provider struct {
 	sync.Map
-	sourceLinks map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition
-	targetLinks map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition
+	sourceLinks       map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition
+	targetLinks       map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition
+	failedSourceLinks map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition
+	failedTargetLinks map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition
 }
 
 func Ok[T any](v T) *wrpc.Result[T, store.Error] {
diff --git a/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/link.go b/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/link.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70271af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/link.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"github.com/wasmCloud/provider-sdk-go"
+	"log"
+)
+
+func (p *Provider) establishSourceLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	if err := p.validateSourceLink(link); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	p.sourceLinks[link.Target] = link
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) establishTargetLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	if err := p.validateTargetLink(link); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	p.targetLinks[link.SourceID] = link
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) validateSourceLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	// TODO: Add validation checks
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) validateTargetLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	// TODO: Add validation checks
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) handleNewSourceLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	log.Println("Handling new source link", link)
+	err := p.establishSourceLink(link)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Println("Failed to establish source link", link, err)
+		p.failedSourceLinks[link.Target] = link
+		return err
+	}
+	p.sourceLinks[link.Target] = link
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) handleNewTargetLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	log.Println("Handling new target link", link)
+	err := p.establishTargetLink(link)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Println("Failed to establish target link", link, err)
+		p.failedTargetLinks[link.SourceID] = link
+		return err
+	}
+	p.targetLinks[link.SourceID] = link
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) handleDelSourceLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	log.Println("Handling del source link", link)
+	delete(p.sourceLinks, link.Target)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) handleDelTargetLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
+	log.Println("Handling del target link", link)
+	delete(p.targetLinks, link.SourceID)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) handleHealthCheck() string {
+	log.Println("Handling health check")
+	return "provider healthy"
+}
+
+func (p *Provider) handleShutdown() error {
+	log.Println("Handling shutdown")
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/main.go b/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/main.go
index a216b31..d1bc42d 100644
--- a/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/main.go
+++ b/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/main.go
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-//go:generate wit-bindgen-wrpc go --out-dir bindings --package github.com/wasmCloud/provider-sdk-go/examples/keyvalue-inmemory/bindings wit
-
 package main
 
 import (
@@ -20,8 +18,10 @@ func main() {
 
 func run() error {
 	p := &Provider{
-		sourceLinks: make(map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition),
-		targetLinks: make(map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition),
+		sourceLinks:       make(map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition),
+		targetLinks:       make(map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition),
+		failedSourceLinks: make(map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition),
+		failedTargetLinks: make(map[string]provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition),
 	}
 
 	wasmcloudprovider, err := provider.New(
@@ -66,37 +66,3 @@ func run() error {
 
 	return nil
 }
-
-func (p *Provider) handleNewSourceLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
-	log.Println("Handling new source link", link)
-	p.sourceLinks[link.Target] = link
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (p *Provider) handleNewTargetLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
-	log.Println("Handling new target link", link)
-	p.targetLinks[link.SourceID] = link
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (p *Provider) handleDelSourceLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
-	log.Println("Handling del source link", link)
-	delete(p.sourceLinks, link.Target)
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (p *Provider) handleDelTargetLink(link provider.InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
-	log.Println("Handling del target link", link)
-	delete(p.targetLinks, link.SourceID)
-	return nil
-}
-
-func (p *Provider) handleHealthCheck() string {
-	log.Println("Handling health check")
-	return "provider healthy"
-}
-
-func (p *Provider) handleShutdown() error {
-	log.Println("Handling shutdown")
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/provider.go b/provider.go
index 69a8579..82520e8 100644
--- a/provider.go
+++ b/provider.go
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ func New(options ...ProviderHandler) (*WasmcloudProvider, error) {
 	}
 
 	// partition links based on if the provider is the source or target
-	sourceLinks := []InterfaceLinkDefinition{}
-	targetLinks := []InterfaceLinkDefinition{}
+	var sourceLinks []InterfaceLinkDefinition
+	var targetLinks []InterfaceLinkDefinition
 
 	// Loop over the numbers
 	for _, link := range hostData.LinkDefinitions {
@@ -344,20 +344,11 @@ func (wp *WasmcloudProvider) putLink(l InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
 
 	wp.lock.Lock()
 	defer wp.lock.Unlock()
-	if l.SourceID == wp.Id {
-		err := wp.putSourceLinkFunc(l)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
 
-		wp.sourceLinks[l.Target] = l
+	if l.SourceID == wp.Id {
+		return wp.putSourceLinkFunc(l)
 	} else if l.Target == wp.Id {
-		err := wp.putTargetLinkFunc(l)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		wp.targetLinks[l.SourceID] = l
+		return wp.putTargetLinkFunc(l)
 	} else {
 		wp.Logger.Info("received link that isn't for this provider, ignoring", "link", l)
 	}
@@ -369,23 +360,12 @@ func (wp *WasmcloudProvider) deleteLink(l InterfaceLinkDefinition) error {
 	wp.lock.Lock()
 	defer wp.lock.Unlock()
 	if l.SourceID == wp.Id {
-		err := wp.delSourceLinkFunc(l)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		delete(wp.sourceLinks, l.Target)
+		return wp.delSourceLinkFunc(l)
 	} else if l.Target == wp.Id {
-		err := wp.delTargetLinkFunc(l)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		delete(wp.targetLinks, l.SourceID)
+		return wp.delTargetLinkFunc(l)
 	} else {
 		wp.Logger.Info("received link delete that isn't for this provider, ignoring", "link", l)
 	}
-
 	return nil
 }