diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index 11c75e3b4ea2..2b1a3ee0944a 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -2277,18 +2277,13 @@ static abi_long do_setsockopt(int sockfd, int level, int optname,
         switch (optname) {
         case ALG_SET_KEY:
         {
-            char *alg_key = g_malloc(optlen);
-
+            char *alg_key = lock_user(VERIFY_READ, optval_addr, optlen, 1);
             if (!alg_key) {
-                return -TARGET_ENOMEM;
-            }
-            if (copy_from_user(alg_key, optval_addr, optlen)) {
-                g_free(alg_key);
                 return -TARGET_EFAULT;
             }
             ret = get_errno(setsockopt(sockfd, level, optname,
                                        alg_key, optlen));
-            g_free(alg_key);
+            unlock_user(alg_key, optval_addr, optlen);
             break;
         }
         case ALG_SET_AEAD_AUTHSIZE: