diff --git a/dp-core/vr_message.c b/dp-core/vr_message.c
index b8a9b731d..e2bd0858e 100644
--- a/dp-core/vr_message.c
+++ b/dp-core/vr_message.c
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ vr_mtrans_free(void *buf)
 int
 vr_message_request(struct vr_message *message)
 {
+    int ret;
+
     if (!message_h.vm_proto)
         return 0;
 
@@ -66,8 +68,11 @@ vr_message_request(struct vr_message *message)
         return -EBADFD;
 #endif
 
-    message_h.vm_proto->mproto_decode(message->vr_message_buf,
+    ret = message_h.vm_proto->mproto_decode(message->vr_message_buf,
             message->vr_message_len, NULL, NULL);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        return ret;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/dp-core/vr_sandesh.c b/dp-core/vr_sandesh.c
index 6ec20cd52..627a16c74 100644
--- a/dp-core/vr_sandesh.c
+++ b/dp-core/vr_sandesh.c
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ sandesh_proto_decode(char *buf, unsigned int len,
 {
     int ret = 0;
 
-    sandesh_decode((unsigned char *)buf, len, vr_find_sandesh_info, &ret);
-    return ret;
+    return sandesh_decode((unsigned char *)buf, len,
+            vr_find_sandesh_info, &ret);
 }
 
 static struct vr_mproto sandesh_mproto = {
diff --git a/dpdk/vr_dpdk_netlink.c b/dpdk/vr_dpdk_netlink.c
index bb2fda663..e82b54b51 100644
--- a/dpdk/vr_dpdk_netlink.c
+++ b/dpdk/vr_dpdk_netlink.c
@@ -84,11 +84,15 @@ int
 dpdk_netlink_receive(void *usockp, char *nl_buf,
         unsigned int nl_len)
 {
+    int ret;
     struct vr_message request;
 
     request.vr_message_buf = nl_buf + HDR_LEN;
     request.vr_message_len = nl_len - HDR_LEN;
-    vr_message_request(&request);
+
+    ret = vr_message_request(&request);
+    if (ret < 0)
+        vr_send_response(ret);
 
     dpdk_nl_process_response(usockp, (struct nlmsghdr *)nl_buf);
 
diff --git a/linux/vr_genetlink.c b/linux/vr_genetlink.c
index 1e8b87cda..23b6292fc 100644
--- a/linux/vr_genetlink.c
+++ b/linux/vr_genetlink.c
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "vr_types.h"
 #include "vr_message.h"
 #include "sandesh.h"
+#include "vr_response.h"
 
 static int netlink_trans_request(struct sk_buff *, struct genl_info *);
 
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ static int
 netlink_trans_request(struct sk_buff *in_skb, struct genl_info *info)
 {
     char *buf;
+    int ret;
     unsigned int len;
     uint32_t multi_flag;
     struct nlmsghdr *rep, *nlh = info->nlhdr;
@@ -97,7 +99,11 @@ netlink_trans_request(struct sk_buff *in_skb, struct genl_info *info)
     request.vr_message_buf = nla_data(nla);
     request.vr_message_len = nla_len(nla);
 
-    vr_message_request(&request);
+    ret = vr_message_request(&request);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        if (vr_send_response(ret))
+            return ret;
+    }
 
 #if (LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3,7,0))
     netlink_id =  NETLINK_CB(in_skb).pid;