diff --git a/crypto/x509/x_name.c b/crypto/x509/x_name.c
index 5e6abebbea67504bc5cb8755ee2ed4044b42c7dc..cd6c719044ccc6a9870ee189bef00b6b554dda34 100644
--- a/crypto/x509/x_name.c
+++ b/crypto/x509/x_name.c
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ static int x509_name_canon(X509_NAME *a)
     STACK_OF(STACK_OF_X509_NAME_ENTRY) *intname = NULL;
     STACK_OF(X509_NAME_ENTRY) *entries = NULL;
     X509_NAME_ENTRY *entry, *tmpentry = NULL;
-    int i, set = -1, ret = 0;
+    int i, set = -1, ret = 0, len;
 
     OPENSSL_free(a->canon_enc);
     a->canon_enc = NULL;
@@ -370,7 +370,10 @@ static int x509_name_canon(X509_NAME *a)
 
     /* Finally generate encoding */
 
-    a->canon_enclen = i2d_name_canon(intname, NULL);
+    len = i2d_name_canon(intname, NULL);
+    if (len < 0)
+        goto err;
+    a->canon_enclen = len;
 
     p = OPENSSL_malloc(a->canon_enclen);