diff --git a/ares_init.c b/ares_init.c
index db1f697..ea425cc 100644
--- a/ares_init.c
+++ b/ares_init.c
@@ -490,13 +490,16 @@ static int init_by_options(ares_channel channel,
     }
 
   /* copy sortlist */
-  if ((optmask & ARES_OPT_SORTLIST) && (channel->nsort == -1) &&
-      (options->nsort>0)) {
-    channel->sortlist = malloc(options->nsort * sizeof(struct apattern));
-    if (!channel->sortlist)
-      return ARES_ENOMEM;
-    for (i = 0; i < options->nsort; i++)
-      channel->sortlist[i] = options->sortlist[i];
+  if ((optmask & ARES_OPT_SORTLIST) && (channel->nsort == -1))
+  {
+    if (channel->nsort > 0)
+    {
+      channel->sortlist = malloc(options->nsort * sizeof(struct apattern));
+      if (!channel->sortlist)
+        return ARES_ENOMEM;
+      for (i = 0; i < options->nsort; i++)
+        channel->sortlist[i] = options->sortlist[i];
+    }
     channel->nsort = options->nsort;
   }