diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_snl.h b/sys/netlink/netlink_snl.h
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_snl.h
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_snl.h
@@ -1039,23 +1039,23 @@
 	uint32_t		size;
 	struct nlmsghdr		*hdr;
 	struct snl_state	*ss;
-	bool			error;
 };
 
-static inline void
+static inline bool
 snl_init_writer(struct snl_state *ss, struct snl_writer *nw)
 {
-	nw->size = SNL_WRITER_BUFFER_SIZE;
-	nw->base = (char *)snl_allocz(ss, nw->size);
-	if (nw->base == NULL) {
-		nw->error = true;
-		nw->size = 0;
-	}
+	char *base;
 
-	nw->offset = 0;
-	nw->hdr = NULL;
-	nw->error = false;
-	nw->ss = ss;
+	if (__predict_false((base =
+	    snl_allocz(ss, SNL_WRITER_BUFFER_SIZE)) == NULL))
+		return (NULL);
+	*nw = (struct snl_writer){
+		.base = base,
+		.size = SNL_WRITER_BUFFER_SIZE,
+		.ss = ss,
+	};
+
+	return (true);
 }
 
 static inline bool
@@ -1066,13 +1066,8 @@
 	while (new_size < nw->size + sz)
 		new_size *= 2;
 
-	if (nw->error)
+	if (__predict_false(snl_allocz(nw->ss, new_size) == NULL))
 		return (false);
-
-	if (snl_allocz(nw->ss, new_size) == NULL) {
-		nw->error = true;
-		return (false);
-	}
 	nw->size = new_size;
 
 	void *new_base = nw->ss->lb->base;
@@ -1254,10 +1249,8 @@
 static inline void
 snl_end_attr_nested(const struct snl_writer *nw, int off)
 {
-	if (!nw->error) {
-		struct nlattr *nla = snl_restore_msg_offset(nw, off, struct nlattr);
-		nla->nla_len = NETLINK_ALIGN(snl_get_msg_offset(nw) - off);
-	}
+	struct nlattr *nla = snl_restore_msg_offset(nw, off, struct nlattr);
+	nla->nla_len = NETLINK_ALIGN(snl_get_msg_offset(nw) - off);
 }
 
 static inline struct nlmsghdr *
@@ -1277,33 +1270,27 @@
 	return (hdr);
 }
 
-static void
+static inline void
 snl_abort_msg(struct snl_writer *nw)
 {
-	if (nw->hdr != NULL) {
-		int offset = (char *)(&nw->base[nw->offset]) - (char *)(nw->hdr);
+	assert(nw->hdr != NULL);
 
-		nw->offset -= offset;
-		nw->hdr = NULL;
-	}
+	nw->offset -= (char *)(&nw->base[nw->offset]) - (char *)(nw->hdr);
+	nw->hdr = NULL;
 }
 
 static inline struct nlmsghdr *
 snl_finalize_msg(struct snl_writer *nw)
 {
-	if (nw->error)
-		snl_abort_msg(nw);
-	if (nw->hdr != NULL) {
-		struct nlmsghdr *hdr = nw->hdr;
+	struct nlmsghdr *hdr = nw->hdr;
 
-		int offset = (char *)(&nw->base[nw->offset]) - (char *)(nw->hdr);
-		hdr->nlmsg_len = offset;
-		hdr->nlmsg_seq = snl_get_seq(nw->ss);
-		nw->hdr = NULL;
+	assert(hdr != NULL);
 
-		return (hdr);
-	}
-	return (NULL);
+	hdr->nlmsg_len = (char *)(&nw->base[nw->offset]) - (char *)(nw->hdr);
+	hdr->nlmsg_seq = snl_get_seq(nw->ss);
+	nw->hdr = NULL;
+
+	return (hdr);
 }
 
 static inline bool
diff --git a/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl.c b/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl.c
--- a/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl.c
+++ b/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl.c
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@
 	int optval = 1;
 	ATF_CHECK(setsockopt(ss.fd, SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_CAP_ACK, &optval, sizeof(optval)) == 0);
 
-	snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw);
+	ATF_CHECK(snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw));
 
 	struct nlmsghdr *hdr = snl_create_msg_request(&nw, 255);
 	ATF_CHECK(hdr != NULL);
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_reserve_msg_object(&nw, struct ifinfomsg) != NULL);
 	snl_add_msg_attr_string(&nw, 143, "some random string");
-	ATF_CHECK(snl_finalize_msg(&nw) != NULL);
+	snl_finalize_msg(&nw);
 
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_send_message(&ss, hdr));
 
@@ -107,13 +107,13 @@
 	optval = 1;
 	ATF_CHECK(setsockopt(ss.fd, SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_EXT_ACK, &optval, sizeof(optval)) == 0);
 
-	snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw);
+	ATF_CHECK(snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw));
 
 	struct nlmsghdr *hdr = snl_create_msg_request(&nw, 255);
 	ATF_CHECK(hdr != NULL);
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_reserve_msg_object(&nw, struct ifinfomsg) != NULL);
 	snl_add_msg_attr_string(&nw, 143, "some random string");
-	ATF_CHECK(snl_finalize_msg(&nw) != NULL);
+	snl_finalize_msg(&nw);
 
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_send_message(&ss, hdr));
 
@@ -147,13 +147,13 @@
 	int optval = 1;
 	ATF_CHECK(setsockopt(ss.fd, SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_EXT_ACK, &optval, sizeof(optval)) == 0);
 
-	snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw);
+	ATF_CHECK(snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw));
 
 	struct nlmsghdr *hdr = snl_create_msg_request(&nw, 255);
 	ATF_CHECK(hdr != NULL);
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_reserve_msg_object(&nw, struct ifinfomsg) != NULL);
 	snl_add_msg_attr_string(&nw, 143, "some random string");
-	ATF_CHECK(snl_finalize_msg(&nw) != NULL);
+	snl_finalize_msg(&nw);
 
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_send_message(&ss, hdr));
 
@@ -205,12 +205,12 @@
 	if (!snl_init(&ss, NETLINK_ROUTE))
 		atf_tc_fail("snl_init() failed");
 
-	snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw);
+	ATF_CHECK(snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw));
 
 	struct nlmsghdr *hdr = snl_create_msg_request(&nw, RTM_GETLINK);
 	ATF_CHECK(hdr != NULL);
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_reserve_msg_object(&nw, struct ifinfomsg) != NULL);
-	ATF_CHECK(snl_finalize_msg(&nw) != NULL);
+	snl_finalize_msg(&nw);
 	uint32_t seq_id = hdr->nlmsg_seq;
 
 	ATF_CHECK(snl_send_message(&ss, hdr));
diff --git a/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl_generic.c b/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl_generic.c
--- a/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl_generic.c
+++ b/tests/sys/netlink/test_snl_generic.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
 	if (!snl_init(&ss, NETLINK_GENERIC))
 		atf_tc_fail("snl_init() failed");
 
-	snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw);
+	ATF_CHECK(snl_init_writer(&ss, &nw));
 	hdr = snl_create_genl_msg_request(&nw, GENL_ID_CTRL, CTRL_CMD_GETFAMILY);
 	snl_add_msg_attr_string(&nw, CTRL_ATTR_FAMILY_NAME, "nlctrl");
 	hdr = snl_finalize_msg(&nw);