diff --git a/src/add-ons/kernel/network/stack/net_socket.cpp b/src/add-ons/kernel/network/stack/net_socket.cpp
index 138ef01f84..e79940e55d 100644
--- a/src/add-ons/kernel/network/stack/net_socket.cpp
+++ b/src/add-ons/kernel/network/stack/net_socket.cpp
@@ -502,6 +502,9 @@ socket_control(net_socket* socket, int32 op, void* data, size_t length)
 				return B_BAD_VALUE;
 
 			ssize_t available = socket_read_avail(socket);
+			if (available < B_OK)
+				return available;
+
 			if (is_syscall()) {
 				if (!IS_USER_ADDRESS(data)
 					|| user_memcpy(data, &available, sizeof(ssize_t)) != B_OK) {