diff --git a/slam_toolbox/include/slam_toolbox/serialization.hpp b/slam_toolbox/include/slam_toolbox/serialization.hpp
index 7a109f70a..731fe24c2 100644
--- a/slam_toolbox/include/slam_toolbox/serialization.hpp
+++ b/slam_toolbox/include/slam_toolbox/serialization.hpp
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ inline bool fileExists(const std::string& name)
   return (stat (name.c_str(), &buffer) == 0);
 }
 
-inline void write(const std::string& filename,
+inline bool write(const std::string& filename,
   karto::Mapper& mapper,
   karto::Dataset& dataset)
 {
@@ -43,10 +43,12 @@ inline void write(const std::string& filename,
   {
     mapper.SaveToFile(filename + std::string(".posegraph"));
     dataset.SaveToFile(filename + std::string(".data"));
+    return true;
   }
   catch (boost::archive::archive_exception e)
   {
     ROS_ERROR("Failed to write file: Exception %s", e.what());
+    return false;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/slam_toolbox/src/map_saver.cpp b/slam_toolbox/src/map_saver.cpp
index e43cbe669..ea941d421 100644
--- a/slam_toolbox/src/map_saver.cpp
+++ b/slam_toolbox/src/map_saver.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ bool MapSaver::saveMapCallback(
   {
     ROS_WARN("Map Saver: Cannot save map, no map yet received on topic %s.",
       map_name_.c_str());
+    resp.success = false;
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ bool MapSaver::saveMapCallback(
     int rc = system("rosrun map_server map_saver");
   }
   ros::Duration(1.0).sleep();
+  resp.success = true;
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/slam_toolbox/src/slam_toolbox_common.cpp b/slam_toolbox/src/slam_toolbox_common.cpp
index a778fbb26..ef708774d 100644
--- a/slam_toolbox/src/slam_toolbox_common.cpp
+++ b/slam_toolbox/src/slam_toolbox_common.cpp
@@ -584,6 +584,7 @@ bool SlamToolbox::serializePoseGraphCallback(
   slam_toolbox_msgs::SerializePoseGraph::Response &resp)
 /*****************************************************************************/
 {
+  bool success = false;
   std::string filename = req.filename;
 
   // if we're inside the snap, we need to write to commonly accessible space
@@ -593,7 +594,8 @@ bool SlamToolbox::serializePoseGraphCallback(
   }
 
   boost::mutex::scoped_lock lock(smapper_mutex_);
-  serialization::write(filename, *smapper_->getMapper(), *dataset_);
+  success = serialization::write(filename, *smapper_->getMapper(), *dataset_);
+  resp.success = success;
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -706,6 +708,7 @@ bool SlamToolbox::deserializePoseGraphCallback(
   {
     ROS_ERROR("Deserialization called without valid processor type set. "
       "Undefined behavior!");
+    resp.success = false;
     return false;
   }
 
@@ -714,6 +717,7 @@ bool SlamToolbox::deserializePoseGraphCallback(
   if (filename.empty())
   {
     ROS_WARN("No map file given!");
+    resp.success = false;
     return true;
   }
 
@@ -730,6 +734,7 @@ bool SlamToolbox::deserializePoseGraphCallback(
   {
     ROS_ERROR("DeserializePoseGraph: Failed to read "
       "file: %s.", filename.c_str());
+    resp.success = false;
     return true;
   }
   ROS_DEBUG("DeserializePoseGraph: Successfully read file.");
@@ -755,9 +760,11 @@ bool SlamToolbox::deserializePoseGraphCallback(
         req.initial_pose.y, req.initial_pose.theta);
       break;
     default:
+      resp.success = false;
       ROS_FATAL("Deserialization called without valid processor type set.");
   }
 
+  resp.success = true;
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/DeserializePoseGraph.srv b/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/DeserializePoseGraph.srv
index 480fea926..aa9517dc2 100644
--- a/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/DeserializePoseGraph.srv
+++ b/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/DeserializePoseGraph.srv
@@ -9,4 +9,5 @@ int8 LOCALIZE_AT_POSE = 3
 string filename
 int8 match_type
 geometry_msgs/Pose2D initial_pose
----
\ No newline at end of file
+---
+bool success
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SaveMap.srv b/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SaveMap.srv
index f38351323..6068bc60a 100644
--- a/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SaveMap.srv
+++ b/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SaveMap.srv
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 std_msgs/String name
 ---
+bool success
diff --git a/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SerializePoseGraph.srv b/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SerializePoseGraph.srv
index 811117977..f87f11da3 100644
--- a/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SerializePoseGraph.srv
+++ b/slam_toolbox_msgs/srv/SerializePoseGraph.srv
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 string filename
----
\ No newline at end of file
+---
+bool success
\ No newline at end of file