diff --git a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
index 61c41298b4ea..6ea29420f0ac 100644
--- a/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
+++ b/net/sunrpc/xprtrdma/verbs.c
@@ -1918,10 +1918,10 @@ rpcrdma_register_external(struct rpcrdma_mr_seg *seg,
 		break;
 
 	default:
-		return -1;
+		return -EIO;
 	}
 	if (rc)
-		return -1;
+		return rc;
 
 	return nsegs;
 }