diff --git a/sys/netinet/tcp_syncache.c b/sys/netinet/tcp_syncache.c
--- a/sys/netinet/tcp_syncache.c
+++ b/sys/netinet/tcp_syncache.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
 static void	 syncache_free(struct syncache *);
 static void	 syncache_insert(struct syncache *, struct syncache_head *);
 static int	 syncache_respond(struct syncache *, const struct mbuf *, int);
-static int	 syncache_send_challenge_ack(struct syncache *, struct mbuf *);
+static void	 syncache_send_challenge_ack(struct syncache *, struct mbuf *);
 static struct	 socket *syncache_socket(struct syncache *, struct socket *,
 		    struct mbuf *m);
 static void	 syncache_timeout(struct syncache *sc, struct syncache_head *sch,
@@ -695,10 +695,7 @@
 				    "sending challenge ACK\n",
 				    s, __func__,
 				    th->th_seq, sc->sc_irs + 1, sc->sc_wnd);
-			if (syncache_send_challenge_ack(sc, m) != 0) {
-				syncache_drop(sc, sch);
-				TCPSTAT_INC(tcps_sc_dropped);
-			}
+			syncache_send_challenge_ack(sc, m);
 		}
 	} else {
 		if ((s = tcp_log_addrs(inc, th, NULL, NULL)))
@@ -2061,22 +2058,16 @@
 	return (error);
 }
 
-static int
+static void
 syncache_send_challenge_ack(struct syncache *sc, struct mbuf *m)
 {
-	int error;
-
 	if (tcp_challenge_ack_check(&sc->sc_challenge_ack_end,
 	    &sc->sc_challenge_ack_cnt)) {
-		error = syncache_respond(sc, m, TH_ACK);
-		if (error == 0) {
+		if (syncache_respond(sc, m, TH_ACK) == 0) {
 			TCPSTAT_INC(tcps_sndacks);
 			TCPSTAT_INC(tcps_sndtotal);
 		}
-	} else {
-		error = 0;
 	}
-	return (error);
 }
 
 /*