diff --git a/test/nsoption.c b/test/nsoption.c
index de0530e8d..76cfeaf0b 100644
--- a/test/nsoption.c
+++ b/test/nsoption.c
@@ -615,8 +615,6 @@ END_TEST
 START_TEST(nsoption_api_snoptionf_param_test)
 {
 	int ret;
-	ret = nsoption_snoptionf(NULL, 0, -1, "");
-	ck_assert_int_eq(ret, -1);
 
 	ret = nsoption_snoptionf(NULL, 0, NSOPTION_LISTEND, "");
 	ck_assert_int_eq(ret, -1);
diff --git a/utils/nsoption.c b/utils/nsoption.c
index 6754d2131..92ecfc176 100644
--- a/utils/nsoption.c
+++ b/utils/nsoption.c
@@ -826,7 +826,7 @@ nsoption_snoptionf(char *string,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if ((option_idx < 0) || (option_idx >= NSOPTION_LISTEND)) {
+	if (option_idx >= NSOPTION_LISTEND) {
 		return -1;
 	}