diff --git a/lib/zlog_5424.c b/lib/zlog_5424.c
index 16f348369e..9bc1c819a8 100644
--- a/lib/zlog_5424.c
+++ b/lib/zlog_5424.c
@@ -877,14 +877,14 @@ static int zlog_5424_open(struct zlog_cfg_5424 *zcf, int sock_type)
 
 	switch (zcf->dst) {
 	case ZLOG_5424_DST_NONE:
-		break;
+		return -1;
 
 	case ZLOG_5424_DST_FD:
 		fd = dup(zcf->fd);
 		if (fd < 0) {
 			flog_err_sys(EC_LIB_SYSTEM_CALL,
 				     "failed to dup() log file descriptor: %m (FD limit too low?)");
-			break;
+			return -1;
 		}
 
 		optlen = sizeof(sock_type);
@@ -896,7 +896,7 @@ static int zlog_5424_open(struct zlog_cfg_5424 *zcf, int sock_type)
 
 	case ZLOG_5424_DST_FIFO:
 		if (!zcf->filename)
-			break;
+			return -1;
 
 		if (!zcf->file_nocreate) {
 			frr_with_privs (lib_privs) {
@@ -909,7 +909,7 @@ static int zlog_5424_open(struct zlog_cfg_5424 *zcf, int sock_type)
 			if (err == 0)
 				do_chown = true;
 			else if (errno != EEXIST)
-				break;
+				return -1;
 		}
 
 		flags = O_NONBLOCK;
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ static int zlog_5424_open(struct zlog_cfg_5424 *zcf, int sock_type)
 
 	case ZLOG_5424_DST_FILE:
 		if (!zcf->filename)
-			break;
+			return -1;
 
 		frr_with_privs (lib_privs) {
 			fd = open(zcf->filename, flags | O_WRONLY | O_APPEND |
@@ -929,7 +929,7 @@ static int zlog_5424_open(struct zlog_cfg_5424 *zcf, int sock_type)
 			flog_err_sys(EC_LIB_SYSTEM_CALL,
 				     "could not open log file %pSE: %m",
 				     zcf->filename);
-			break;
+			return -1;
 		}
 
 		frr_with_privs (lib_privs) {
@@ -957,11 +957,11 @@ static int zlog_5424_open(struct zlog_cfg_5424 *zcf, int sock_type)
 		flog_err_sys(EC_LIB_SYSTEM_CALL,
 			     "could not open or create log file %pSE: %m",
 			     zcf->filename);
-		break;
+		return -1;
 
 	case ZLOG_5424_DST_UNIX:
 		if (!zcf->filename)
-			break;
+			return -1;
 
 		memset(&sa, 0, sizeof(sa));
 		sa.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
@@ -993,6 +993,7 @@ static int zlog_5424_open(struct zlog_cfg_5424 *zcf, int sock_type)
 				"could not connect to log unix path %pSE: %m",
 				zcf->filename);
 			need_reconnect = true;
+			/* no return -1 here, trigger retry code below */
 		} else {
 			/* datagram sockets are connectionless, restarting
 			 * the receiver may lose some packets but will resume