diff --git a/libraries/liblber/io.c b/libraries/liblber/io.c
index 8b08e38587..40b5acf6bf 100644
--- a/libraries/liblber/io.c
+++ b/libraries/liblber/io.c
@@ -390,16 +390,15 @@ int ber_flatten2(
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	/* unmatched "{" and "}" */
-	if ( ber->ber_sos_ptr != NULL ) {
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	if ( ber == NULL ) {
 		/* ber is null, create an empty berval */
 		bv->bv_val = NULL;
 		bv->bv_len = 0;
 
+	} else if ( ber->ber_sos_ptr != NULL ) {
+		/* unmatched "{" and "}" */
+		return -1;
+
 	} else {
 		/* copy the berval */
 		ber_len_t len = ber_pvt_ber_write( ber );