diff --git a/src/Sema.zig b/src/Sema.zig
index ed8204b346..879ecb4e2f 100644
--- a/src/Sema.zig
+++ b/src/Sema.zig
@@ -1906,8 +1906,6 @@ fn failWithOwnedErrorMsg(sema: *Sema, err_msg: *Module.ErrorMsg) CompileError {
     }
 
     const mod = sema.mod;
-    sema.err = err_msg;
-
     {
         errdefer err_msg.destroy(mod.gpa);
         if (err_msg.src_loc.lazy == .unneeded) {
@@ -1925,8 +1923,10 @@ fn failWithOwnedErrorMsg(sema: *Sema, err_msg: *Module.ErrorMsg) CompileError {
     const gop = mod.failed_decls.getOrPutAssumeCapacity(sema.owner_decl_index);
     if (gop.found_existing) {
         // If there are multiple errors for the same Decl, prefer the first one added.
+        sema.err = null;
         err_msg.destroy(mod.gpa);
     } else {
+        sema.err = err_msg;
         gop.value_ptr.* = err_msg;
     }
     return error.AnalysisFail;