diff --git a/include/common/hpack-tbl.h b/include/common/hpack-tbl.h
index 824c40018e..ffa866bb5a 100644
--- a/include/common/hpack-tbl.h
+++ b/include/common/hpack-tbl.h
@@ -216,8 +216,10 @@ static inline struct ist hpack_idx_to_value(const struct hpack_dht *dht, int idx
  */
 static inline int hpack_dht_make_room(struct hpack_dht *dht, unsigned int needed)
 {
-	if (!dht->used || dht->used * 32 + dht->total + needed + 32 <= dht->size)
+	if (dht->used * 32 + dht->total + needed + 32 <= dht->size)
 		return 1;
+	else if (!dht->used)
+		return 0;
 
 	return __hpack_dht_make_room(dht, needed);
 }
diff --git a/src/hpack-tbl.c b/src/hpack-tbl.c
index 4ca6796422..06798dc51a 100644
--- a/src/hpack-tbl.c
+++ b/src/hpack-tbl.c
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ int hpack_dht_insert(struct hpack_dht *dht, struct ist name, struct ist value)
 	uint32_t headroom, tailroom;
 
 	if (!hpack_dht_make_room(dht, name.len + value.len))
-		return -1;
+		return 0;
 
 	used = dht->used;
 	prev = head = dht->head;