diff --git a/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c b/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
index 148a95e68b7d..aca875fb0fbd 100644
--- a/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
+++ b/lib/libc/net/getaddrinfo.c
@@ -2358,9 +2358,9 @@ res_queryN(name, target, res)
 		}
 #endif
 
-		if (n < 0 || n > anslen)
+		if (n > anslen)
 			hp->rcode = FORMERR; /* XXX not very informative */
-		if (hp->rcode != NOERROR || ntohs(hp->ancount) == 0) {
+		if (n < 0 || hp->rcode != NOERROR || ntohs(hp->ancount) == 0) {
 			rcode = hp->rcode;	/* record most recent error */
 #ifdef DEBUG
 			if (res->options & RES_DEBUG)