diff --git a/src/connect.c b/src/connect.c
index b699ee54..0758e468 100644
--- a/src/connect.c
+++ b/src/connect.c
@@ -335,8 +335,8 @@ socket_t ssh_connect_host_nonblocking(ssh_session session, const char *host,
      * connection, otherwise return the first address without error or error */
     if (s == -1) {
         s = first;
-    } else if (s != first) {
-        /* Clean up the saved socket */
+    } else if (s != first && first != -1) {
+        /* Clean up the saved socket if any */
         ssh_connect_socket_close(first);
     }