diff --git a/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c b/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c
index 9f9093e..09b6b07 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/vhost-vsock.c
@@ -364,12 +364,16 @@
 
 err_vhost_dev:
     vhost_dev_cleanup(&vsock->vhost_dev);
+    /* vhost_dev_cleanup() closes the vhostfd passed to vhost_dev_init() */
+    vhostfd = -1;
 err_virtio:
     virtio_delete_queue(vsock->recv_vq);
     virtio_delete_queue(vsock->trans_vq);
     virtio_delete_queue(vsock->event_vq);
     virtio_cleanup(vdev);
-    close(vhostfd);
+    if (vhostfd >= 0) {
+        close(vhostfd);
+    }
     return;
 }