diff --git a/src/http/ngx_http_core_module.c b/src/http/ngx_http_core_module.c
index 1bd3ecd5c..c3957ba38 100644
--- a/src/http/ngx_http_core_module.c
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_core_module.c
@@ -4405,16 +4405,14 @@ ngx_http_core_root(ngx_conf_t *cf, ngx_command_t *cmd, void *conf)
     if (clcf->root.data) {
 
         if ((clcf->alias != 0) == alias) {
-            ngx_conf_log_error(NGX_LOG_EMERG, cf, 0,
-                               "\"%V\" directive is duplicate",
-                               &cmd->name);
-        } else {
-            ngx_conf_log_error(NGX_LOG_EMERG, cf, 0,
-                               "\"%V\" directive is duplicate, "
-                               "\"%s\" directive was specified earlier",
-                               &cmd->name, clcf->alias ? "alias" : "root");
+            return "is duplicate";
         }
 
+        ngx_conf_log_error(NGX_LOG_EMERG, cf, 0,
+                           "\"%V\" directive is duplicate, "
+                           "\"%s\" directive was specified earlier",
+                           &cmd->name, clcf->alias ? "alias" : "root");
+
         return NGX_CONF_ERROR;
     }