diff --git a/ppapi/proxy/broker_dispatcher.cc b/ppapi/proxy/broker_dispatcher.cc
index 6095679a16a942..7187852ba26d86 100644
--- a/ppapi/proxy/broker_dispatcher.cc
+++ b/ppapi/proxy/broker_dispatcher.cc
@@ -24,9 +24,8 @@ bool BrokerDispatcher::InitBrokerWithChannel(
     base::ProcessId peer_pid,
     const IPC::ChannelHandle& channel_handle,
     bool is_client) {
-  InitWithChannel(delegate, peer_pid);
-  ConnectChannel(channel_handle, is_client);
-  return true;
+  return ProxyChannel::InitWithChannel(delegate, peer_pid, channel_handle,
+                                       is_client);
 }
 
 bool BrokerDispatcher::OnMessageReceived(const IPC::Message& msg) {
diff --git a/ppapi/proxy/host_dispatcher.cc b/ppapi/proxy/host_dispatcher.cc
index 3dfa25a29a0553..8f3833f5ddff7f 100644
--- a/ppapi/proxy/host_dispatcher.cc
+++ b/ppapi/proxy/host_dispatcher.cc
@@ -91,9 +91,10 @@ bool HostDispatcher::InitHostWithChannel(
     const IPC::ChannelHandle& channel_handle,
     bool is_client,
     const ppapi::Preferences& preferences) {
-  InitWithChannel(delegate, peer_pid);
+  if (!Dispatcher::InitWithChannel(delegate, peer_pid, channel_handle,
+                                   is_client))
+    return false;
   AddIOThreadMessageFilter(sync_status_.get());
-  ConnectChannel(channel_handle, is_client);
 
   Send(new PpapiMsg_SetPreferences(preferences));
   return true;
diff --git a/ppapi/proxy/plugin_dispatcher.cc b/ppapi/proxy/plugin_dispatcher.cc
index f99ec9e3673501..6cd0ab4151dff6 100644
--- a/ppapi/proxy/plugin_dispatcher.cc
+++ b/ppapi/proxy/plugin_dispatcher.cc
@@ -161,7 +161,9 @@ bool PluginDispatcher::InitPluginWithChannel(
     base::ProcessId peer_pid,
     const IPC::ChannelHandle& channel_handle,
     bool is_client) {
-  InitWithChannel(delegate, peer_pid);
+  if (!Dispatcher::InitWithChannel(delegate, peer_pid, channel_handle,
+                                   is_client))
+    return false;
   plugin_delegate_ = delegate;
   plugin_dispatcher_id_ = plugin_delegate_->Register(this);
 
@@ -174,7 +176,6 @@ bool PluginDispatcher::InitPluginWithChannel(
       new PluginMessageFilter(
           delegate->GetGloballySeenInstanceIDSet(),
           PluginGlobals::Get()->resource_reply_thread_registrar()));
-  ConnectChannel(channel_handle, is_client);
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.cc b/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.cc
index 162340153e955f..b7f8a826ce3245 100644
--- a/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.cc
+++ b/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.cc
@@ -25,19 +25,18 @@ ProxyChannel::~ProxyChannel() {
   DVLOG(1) << "ProxyChannel::~ProxyChannel()";
 }
 
-void ProxyChannel::InitWithChannel(Delegate* delegate,
-                                   base::ProcessId peer_pid) {
+bool ProxyChannel::InitWithChannel(Delegate* delegate,
+                                   base::ProcessId peer_pid,
+                                   const IPC::ChannelHandle& channel_handle,
+                                   bool is_client) {
   delegate_ = delegate;
   peer_pid_ = peer_pid;
-  channel_.reset(new IPC::SyncChannel(this, delegate->GetIPCMessageLoop(),
-                                      delegate->GetShutdownEvent()));
-}
-
-void ProxyChannel::ConnectChannel(const IPC::ChannelHandle& channel_handle,
-                                  bool is_client) {
   IPC::Channel::Mode mode = is_client ? IPC::Channel::MODE_CLIENT
                                       : IPC::Channel::MODE_SERVER;
-  channel_->Init(channel_handle, mode, true);
+  channel_.reset(new IPC::SyncChannel(channel_handle, mode, this,
+                                      delegate->GetIPCMessageLoop(), true,
+                                      delegate->GetShutdownEvent()));
+  return true;
 }
 
 void ProxyChannel::InitWithTestSink(IPC::TestSink* test_sink) {
diff --git a/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.h b/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.h
index 64b8a77bf318c7..6c9f1f67f74963 100644
--- a/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.h
+++ b/ppapi/proxy/proxy_channel.h
@@ -53,10 +53,10 @@ class PPAPI_PROXY_EXPORT ProxyChannel
 
   virtual ~ProxyChannel();
 
-  // Alternative to InitWithChannel()/ConnectChannel() for unit tests that want
-  // to send all messages sent via this channel to the given test sink. The
-  // test sink must outlive this class. In this case, the peer PID will be the
-  // current process ID.
+  // Alternative to InitWithChannel() for unit tests that want to send all
+  // messages sent via this channel to the given test sink. The test sink
+  // must outlive this class. In this case, the peer PID will be the current
+  // process ID.
   void InitWithTestSink(IPC::TestSink* test_sink);
 
   // Shares a file handle (HANDLE / file descriptor) with the remote side. It
@@ -87,14 +87,13 @@ class PPAPI_PROXY_EXPORT ProxyChannel
  protected:
   explicit ProxyChannel();
 
-  // You must call this function before anything else.
+  // You must call this function before anything else. Returns true on success.
   // The delegate pointer must outlive this class, ownership is not
   // transferred.
-  void InitWithChannel(Delegate* delegate, base::ProcessId peer_pid);
-
-  // You must call this function after InitWithChannel(), and after adding any
-  // desired filters to the underlying channel, but before anything else.
-  void ConnectChannel(const IPC::ChannelHandle& channel_handle, bool is_client);
+  virtual bool InitWithChannel(Delegate* delegate,
+                               base::ProcessId peer_pid,
+                               const IPC::ChannelHandle& channel_handle,
+                               bool is_client);
 
   ProxyChannel::Delegate* delegate() const {
     return delegate_;