diff --git a/src/exchange/taler-exchange-httpd_wire.c b/src/exchange/taler-exchange-httpd_wire.c
index d575fcf96..885d10d76 100644
--- a/src/exchange/taler-exchange-httpd_wire.c
+++ b/src/exchange/taler-exchange-httpd_wire.c
@@ -348,10 +348,10 @@ TEH_handler_wire (const struct TEH_RequestHandler *rh,
   (void) args;
   wsh = get_wire_state ();
   if (NULL == wsh)
-    TALER_MHD_reply_with_error (connection,
-                                MHD_HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
-                                TALER_EC_EXCHANGE_GENERIC_BAD_CONFIGURATION,
-                                NULL);
+    return TALER_MHD_reply_with_error (connection,
+                                       MHD_HTTP_INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+                                       TALER_EC_EXCHANGE_GENERIC_BAD_CONFIGURATION,
+                                       NULL);
   return TALER_MHD_reply_json (connection,
                                json_incref (wsh->wire_reply),
                                MHD_HTTP_OK);