diff --git a/library/cipher.c b/library/cipher.c
index d51ccd77f..0c5bcda66 100644
--- a/library/cipher.c
+++ b/library/cipher.c
@@ -1125,6 +1125,12 @@ int mbedtls_cipher_check_tag( mbedtls_cipher_context_t *ctx,
     }
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_USE_PSA_CRYPTO */
 
+    /* Status to return on a non-authenticated algorithm. It would make sense
+     * to return MBEDTLS_ERR_CIPHER_INVALID_CONTEXT or perhaps
+     * MBEDTLS_ERR_CIPHER_BAD_INPUT_DATA, but at the time I write this our
+     * unit tests assume 0. */
+    ret = 0;
+
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_GCM_C)
     if( MBEDTLS_MODE_GCM == ctx->cipher_info->mode )
     {
@@ -1140,9 +1146,7 @@ int mbedtls_cipher_check_tag( mbedtls_cipher_context_t *ctx,
 
         /* Check the tag in "constant-time" */
         if( mbedtls_ct_memcmp( tag, check_tag, tag_len ) != 0 )
-            return( MBEDTLS_ERR_CIPHER_AUTH_FAILED );
-
-        return( 0 );
+            ret = MBEDTLS_ERR_CIPHER_AUTH_FAILED;
     }
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_GCM_C */
 
@@ -1162,13 +1166,12 @@ int mbedtls_cipher_check_tag( mbedtls_cipher_context_t *ctx,
 
         /* Check the tag in "constant-time" */
         if( mbedtls_ct_memcmp( tag, check_tag, tag_len ) != 0 )
-            return( MBEDTLS_ERR_CIPHER_AUTH_FAILED );
-
-        return( 0 );
+            ret = MBEDTLS_ERR_CIPHER_AUTH_FAILED;
     }
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_CHACHAPOLY_C */
 
-    return( 0 );
+    mbedtls_platform_zeroize( check_tag, tag_len );
+    return( ret );
 }
 #endif /* MBEDTLS_GCM_C || MBEDTLS_CHACHAPOLY_C */