diff --git a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c
index 90ecee1977..0cfb8b792b 100644
--- a/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c
+++ b/lib/librte_vhost/vhost_user.c
@@ -1563,8 +1563,10 @@ vhost_user_set_vring_call(struct virtio_net **pdev, struct VhostUserMsg *msg,
 	struct virtio_net *dev = *pdev;
 	struct vhost_vring_file file;
 	struct vhost_virtqueue *vq;
+	int expected_fds;
 
-	if (validate_msg_fds(msg, 1) != 0)
+	expected_fds = (msg->payload.u64 & VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK) ? 0 : 1;
+	if (validate_msg_fds(msg, expected_fds) != 0)
 		return RTE_VHOST_MSG_RESULT_ERR;
 
 	file.index = msg->payload.u64 & VHOST_USER_VRING_IDX_MASK;
@@ -1588,7 +1590,10 @@ static int vhost_user_set_vring_err(struct virtio_net **pdev __rte_unused,
 			struct VhostUserMsg *msg,
 			int main_fd __rte_unused)
 {
-	if (validate_msg_fds(msg, 1) != 0)
+	int expected_fds;
+
+	expected_fds = (msg->payload.u64 & VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK) ? 0 : 1;
+	if (validate_msg_fds(msg, expected_fds) != 0)
 		return RTE_VHOST_MSG_RESULT_ERR;
 
 	if (!(msg->payload.u64 & VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK))
@@ -1790,8 +1795,10 @@ vhost_user_set_vring_kick(struct virtio_net **pdev, struct VhostUserMsg *msg,
 	struct virtio_net *dev = *pdev;
 	struct vhost_vring_file file;
 	struct vhost_virtqueue *vq;
+	int expected_fds;
 
-	if (validate_msg_fds(msg, 1) != 0)
+	expected_fds = (msg->payload.u64 & VHOST_USER_VRING_NOFD_MASK) ? 0 : 1;
+	if (validate_msg_fds(msg, expected_fds) != 0)
 		return RTE_VHOST_MSG_RESULT_ERR;
 
 	file.index = msg->payload.u64 & VHOST_USER_VRING_IDX_MASK;