diff --git a/src/source-ipfw.c b/src/source-ipfw.c
index 36e7d68225..573ef5d7e7 100644
--- a/src/source-ipfw.c
+++ b/src/source-ipfw.c
@@ -626,9 +626,16 @@ TmEcode IPFWSetVerdict(ThreadVars *tv, IPFWThreadVars *ptv, Packet *p)
 
         IPFWMutexLock(nq);
         if (sendto(nq->fd, GET_PKT_DATA(p), GET_PKT_LEN(p), 0,(struct sockaddr *)&nq->ipfw_sin, nq->ipfw_sinlen) == -1) {
-            SCLogWarning(SC_WARN_IPFW_XMIT,"Write to ipfw divert socket failed: %s",strerror(errno));
-            IPFWMutexUnlock(nq);
-            SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+            int r = errno;
+            switch (r) {
+                default:
+                    SCLogWarning(SC_WARN_IPFW_XMIT,"Write to ipfw divert socket failed: %s",strerror(r));
+                    IPFWMutexUnlock(nq);
+                    SCReturnInt(TM_ECODE_FAILED);
+                case EHOSTDOWN:
+                case ENETDOWN:
+                    break;
+            }
         }
 
         IPFWMutexUnlock(nq);