diff --git a/net/mptcp/protocol.c b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
index 400824eabf737..8c1d1a5957017 100644
--- a/net/mptcp/protocol.c
+++ b/net/mptcp/protocol.c
@@ -984,7 +984,6 @@ static int mptcp_sendmsg(struct sock *sk, struct msghdr *msg, size_t len)
 
 	mptcp_set_timeout(sk, ssk);
 	if (copied) {
-		ret = copied;
 		tcp_push(ssk, msg->msg_flags, mss_now, tcp_sk(ssk)->nonagle,
 			 size_goal);
 
@@ -997,7 +996,7 @@ static int mptcp_sendmsg(struct sock *sk, struct msghdr *msg, size_t len)
 	release_sock(ssk);
 out:
 	release_sock(sk);
-	return ret;
+	return copied ? : ret;
 }
 
 static void mptcp_wait_data(struct sock *sk, long *timeo)