diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index 8b18adfba8..24b25759be 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -3353,7 +3353,8 @@ static abi_long do_sendrecvmsg_locked(int fd, struct target_msghdr *msgp,
             if (fd_trans_host_to_target_data(fd)) {
                 ret = fd_trans_host_to_target_data(fd)(msg.msg_iov->iov_base,
                                                MIN(msg.msg_iov->iov_len, len));
-            } else {
+            }
+            if (!is_error(ret)) {
                 ret = host_to_target_cmsg(msgp, &msg);
             }
             if (!is_error(ret)) {