diff --git a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-qemu-config.c b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-qemu-config.c
index d17e841e35..a58e1f141b 100644
--- a/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-qemu-config.c
+++ b/src/vmspawn/vmspawn-qemu-config.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ int qemu_config_key(FILE *f, const char *key, const char *value) {
                 return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL), "QEMU config value '%s' contains unsafe characters.", value);
 
         if (fprintf(f, "  %s = \"%s\"\n", key, value) < 0)
-                return -errno_or_else(EIO);
+                return errno_or_else(EIO);
 
         return 0;
 }
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ int qemu_config_section_impl(FILE *f, const char *type, const char *id, ...) {
         va_end(ap);
 
         if (ferror(f))
-                return -errno_or_else(EIO);
+                return errno_or_else(EIO);
 
         return 0;
 }