diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/airo.c b/drivers/net/wireless/airo.c
index 698d5672a070e785d1c090eb39947b89acf0d7d5..dc5018a6d9edcc75a9de752c56e1f27bdbd2d7ee 100644
--- a/drivers/net/wireless/airo.c
+++ b/drivers/net/wireless/airo.c
@@ -5255,7 +5255,8 @@ static int set_wep_key(struct airo_info *ai, u16 index, const char *key,
 	WepKeyRid wkr;
 	int rc;
 
-	WARN_ON(keylen == 0);
+	if (WARN_ON(keylen == 0))
+		return -1;
 
 	memset(&wkr, 0, sizeof(wkr));
 	wkr.len = cpu_to_le16(sizeof(wkr));