diff --git a/fs/btrfs/send.c b/fs/btrfs/send.c
index 8b653967b1638..2db8dc89ca418 100644
--- a/fs/btrfs/send.c
+++ b/fs/btrfs/send.c
@@ -2502,6 +2502,8 @@ verbose_printk("btrfs: send_utimes %llu\n", ino);
 	key.type = BTRFS_INODE_ITEM_KEY;
 	key.offset = 0;
 	ret = btrfs_search_slot(NULL, sctx->send_root, &key, path, 0, 0);
+	if (ret > 0)
+		ret = -ENOENT;
 	if (ret < 0)
 		goto out;