diff --git a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
index 09a93c8303b..25918f5a0b6 100644
--- a/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
+++ b/sys/kern/vfs_cache.c
@@ -3866,7 +3866,7 @@ vn_path_to_global_path_hardlink(struct thread *td, struct vnode *vp,
 
 	if (error != 0) {
 		vrele(vp);
-		goto out;
+		return (error);
 	}
 
 	if (strlen(rpath) >= pathlen) {