diff --git a/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_socket.go b/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_socket.go
index 61b2576ac..0760af77b 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_socket.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/sys_socket.go
@@ -247,8 +247,9 @@ func SocketPair(t *kernel.Task, args arch.SyscallArguments) (uintptr, *kernel.Sy
 	// Copy the file descriptors out.
 	if _, err := t.CopyOut(socks, fds); err != nil {
 		for _, fd := range fds {
-			_, file := t.FDTable().Remove(fd)
-			file.DecRef()
+			if file, _ := t.FDTable().Remove(fd); file != nil {
+				file.DecRef()
+			}
 		}
 		return 0, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/vfs2/socket.go b/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/vfs2/socket.go
index 79a4a7ada..b1ede32f0 100644
--- a/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/vfs2/socket.go
+++ b/pkg/sentry/syscalls/linux/vfs2/socket.go
@@ -250,8 +250,9 @@ func SocketPair(t *kernel.Task, args arch.SyscallArguments) (uintptr, *kernel.Sy
 
 	if _, err := t.CopyOut(addr, fds); err != nil {
 		for _, fd := range fds {
-			_, file := t.FDTable().Remove(fd)
-			file.DecRef()
+			if _, file := t.FDTable().Remove(fd); file != nil {
+				file.DecRef()
+			}
 		}
 		return 0, nil, err
 	}