diff --git a/tests/api/test_hmac.c b/tests/api/test_hmac.c
index b2c83f2794..5c628f0086 100644
--- a/tests/api/test_hmac.c
+++ b/tests/api/test_hmac.c
@@ -305,6 +305,9 @@ int test_wc_Md5HmacUpdate(void)
     b.inLen = XSTRLEN(b.input);
 
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacInit(&hmac, NULL, INVALID_DEVID), 0);
+    /* update before setkey results in err. */
+    ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen),
+                WC_NO_ERR_TRACE(BAD_FUNC_ARG));
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacSetKey(&hmac, WC_MD5, (byte*)keys,
         (word32)XSTRLEN(keys)), 0);
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen), 0);
@@ -346,6 +349,9 @@ int test_wc_ShaHmacUpdate(void)
     b.inLen = XSTRLEN(b.input);
 
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacInit(&hmac, NULL, INVALID_DEVID), 0);
+    /* update before setkey results in err. */
+    ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen),
+                WC_NO_ERR_TRACE(BAD_FUNC_ARG));
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacSetKey(&hmac, WC_SHA, (byte*)keys,
         (word32)XSTRLEN(keys)), 0);
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen), 0);
@@ -387,6 +393,9 @@ int test_wc_Sha224HmacUpdate(void)
     b.inLen = XSTRLEN(b.input);
 
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacInit(&hmac, NULL, INVALID_DEVID), 0);
+    /* update before setkey results in err. */
+    ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen),
+                WC_NO_ERR_TRACE(BAD_FUNC_ARG));
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacSetKey(&hmac, WC_SHA224, (byte*)keys,
         (word32)XSTRLEN(keys)), 0);
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen), 0);
@@ -428,6 +437,9 @@ int test_wc_Sha256HmacUpdate(void)
     b.inLen = XSTRLEN(b.input);
 
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacInit(&hmac, NULL, INVALID_DEVID), 0);
+    /* update before setkey results in err. */
+    ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen),
+                WC_NO_ERR_TRACE(BAD_FUNC_ARG));
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacSetKey(&hmac, WC_SHA256, (byte*)keys,
         (word32)XSTRLEN(keys)), 0);
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen), 0);
@@ -469,6 +481,9 @@ int test_wc_Sha384HmacUpdate(void)
     b.inLen = XSTRLEN(b.input);
 
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacInit(&hmac, NULL, INVALID_DEVID), 0);
+    /* update before setkey results in err. */
+    ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen),
+                WC_NO_ERR_TRACE(BAD_FUNC_ARG));
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacSetKey(&hmac, WC_SHA384, (byte*)keys,
         (word32)XSTRLEN(keys)), 0);
     ExpectIntEQ(wc_HmacUpdate(&hmac, (byte*)b.input, (word32)b.inLen), 0);
diff --git a/wolfcrypt/src/hmac.c b/wolfcrypt/src/hmac.c
index b18c0e0e49..963c4ab2b5 100644
--- a/wolfcrypt/src/hmac.c
+++ b/wolfcrypt/src/hmac.c
@@ -1135,6 +1135,7 @@ int wc_HmacUpdate(Hmac* hmac, const byte* msg, word32 length)
     #endif
 
         default:
+            ret = BAD_FUNC_ARG;
             break;
     }