diff --git a/Objects/unicodeobject.c b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
index da9f8dcc223fc0..fc137055deb5e5 100644
--- a/Objects/unicodeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
@@ -14588,7 +14588,7 @@ intern_static(PyInterpreterState *interp, PyObject *s /* stolen */)
         return Py_NewRef(r);
     }
 
-    if (_Py_hashtable_set(INTERNED_STRINGS, s, s) < -1) {
+    if (_Py_hashtable_set(INTERNED_STRINGS, s, s) < 0) {
         Py_FatalError("failed to intern static string");
     }