diff --git a/src/logging/log_handler.c b/src/logging/log_handler.c
index 6f5277c679..95d909b44e 100644
--- a/src/logging/log_handler.c
+++ b/src/logging/log_handler.c
@@ -461,6 +461,8 @@ virLogHandlerDomainLogFileDrain(virLogHandlerLogFilePtr file)
             if (errno == EINTR)
                 continue;
             return;
+        } else if (len == 0) {
+            return;
         }
 
         if (virRotatingFileWriterAppend(file->file, buf, len) != len)