diff --git a/crypto/asn1/asn_pack.c b/crypto/asn1/asn_pack.c
index 0d1f3406db816..d22925510dd3b 100644
--- a/crypto/asn1/asn_pack.c
+++ b/crypto/asn1/asn_pack.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ ASN1_STRING *ASN1_item_pack(void *obj, const ASN1_ITEM *it, ASN1_STRING **oct)
 
     ASN1_STRING_set0(octmp, NULL, 0);
 
-    if ((octmp->length = ASN1_item_i2d(obj, &octmp->data, it)) == 0) {
+    if ((octmp->length = ASN1_item_i2d(obj, &octmp->data, it)) <= 0) {
         ERR_raise(ERR_LIB_ASN1, ASN1_R_ENCODE_ERROR);
         goto err;
     }