diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index f79aef16320b..46ea9cc16647 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -2162,7 +2162,7 @@ static struct file *do_last(struct nameidata *nd, struct path *path,
 		/* sayonara */
 		error = complete_walk(nd);
 		if (error)
-			return ERR_PTR(-ECHILD);
+			return ERR_PTR(error);
 
 		error = -ENOTDIR;
 		if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_DIRECTORY) {