diff --git a/registry/handlers/layerupload.go b/registry/handlers/layerupload.go
index 8c96b7a6e..5cfa4554c 100644
--- a/registry/handlers/layerupload.go
+++ b/registry/handlers/layerupload.go
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ func (luh *layerUploadHandler) PutLayerUploadComplete(w http.ResponseWriter, r *
 		ctxu.GetLogger(luh).Errorf("unknown error copying into upload: %v", err)
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		luh.Errors.Push(v2.ErrorCodeUnknown, err)
+		return
 	}
 
 	layer, err := luh.Upload.Finish(dgst)