diff --git a/lib/sock/sock.c b/lib/sock/sock.c
index 5551431f7..bb18653e9 100644
--- a/lib/sock/sock.c
+++ b/lib/sock/sock.c
@@ -516,7 +516,8 @@ int
 spdk_sock_flush(struct spdk_sock *sock)
 {
 	if (sock == NULL || sock->flags.closed) {
-		return -EBADF;
+		errno = EBADF;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	/* Sock is in a polling group, so group polling mechanism will work */
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/sock/sock.c/sock_ut.c b/test/unit/lib/sock/sock.c/sock_ut.c
index ac9fe0539..ba30921a1 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/sock/sock.c/sock_ut.c
+++ b/test/unit/lib/sock/sock.c/sock_ut.c
@@ -805,7 +805,8 @@ _sock_close(const char *ip, int port, char *impl_name)
 
 	/* Test spdk_sock_flush when sock is NULL */
 	rc = spdk_sock_flush(NULL);
-	CU_ASSERT(rc == -EBADF);
+	CU_ASSERT(rc == -1);
+	CU_ASSERT(errno == EBADF);
 
 	/* Test spdk_sock_flush when sock is not NULL */
 	rc = spdk_sock_flush(client_sock);