diff --git a/deps/cares/src/ares_parse_naptr_reply.c b/deps/cares/src/ares_parse_naptr_reply.c
index 717d355778117f..a14c226a9e7e25 100644
--- a/deps/cares/src/ares_parse_naptr_reply.c
+++ b/deps/cares/src/ares_parse_naptr_reply.c
@@ -110,18 +110,19 @@ ares_parse_naptr_reply (const unsigned char *abuf, int alen,
           status = ARES_EBADRESP;
           break;
         }
-      /* RR must contain at least 7 bytes = 2 x int16 + 3 x name */
-      if (rr_len < 7)
-        {
-          status = ARES_EBADRESP;
-          break;
-        }
 
       /* Check if we are really looking at a NAPTR record */
       if (rr_class == C_IN && rr_type == T_NAPTR)
         {
           /* parse the NAPTR record itself */
 
+          /* RR must contain at least 7 bytes = 2 x int16 + 3 x name */
+          if (rr_len < 7)
+            {
+              status = ARES_EBADRESP;
+              break;
+            }
+
           /* Allocate storage for this NAPTR answer appending it to the list */
           naptr_curr = ares_malloc_data(ARES_DATATYPE_NAPTR_REPLY);
           if (!naptr_curr)