diff --git a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
index ad3bb35b34..76db5ed3dd 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ static void create_fdt(SiFiveUState *s, const MemMapEntry *memmap,
             error_report("load_device_tree() failed");
             exit(1);
         }
+        return;
     } else {
         fdt = ms->fdt = create_device_tree(&fdt_size);
         if (!fdt) {
diff --git a/hw/riscv/virt.c b/hw/riscv/virt.c
index 49f2c157f7..981392c0bb 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/virt.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/virt.c
@@ -1015,6 +1015,7 @@ static void create_fdt(RISCVVirtState *s, const MemMapEntry *memmap)
             error_report("load_device_tree() failed");
             exit(1);
         }
+        return;
     } else {
         ms->fdt = create_device_tree(&s->fdt_size);
         if (!ms->fdt) {