diff --git a/src/util/virbuffer.c b/src/util/virbuffer.c
index 9a74ca78bb..69fcf946f5 100644
--- a/src/util/virbuffer.c
+++ b/src/util/virbuffer.c
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ virBufferSetError(virBufferPtr buf, int error)
  * negative to decrease).  Automatic indentation is performed by all
  * additive functions when the existing buffer is empty or ends with a
  * newline (however, note that no indentation is added after newlines
- * embedded in an appended string).  If @indent would cause overflow,
- * the buffer error indicator is set.
+ * embedded in an appended string).  If @indent would cause overflow, the
+ * indentation level is truncated.
  */
 void
 virBufferAdjustIndent(virBufferPtr buf, int indent)
@@ -67,12 +67,12 @@ virBufferAdjustIndent(virBufferPtr buf, int indent)
 
     if (indent > 0) {
         if (INT_MAX - indent < buf->indent) {
-            virBufferSetError(buf, -1);
+            buf->indent = INT_MAX;
             return;
         }
     } else {
         if (buf->indent < -indent) {
-            virBufferSetError(buf, -1);
+            buf->indent = 0;
             return;
         }
     }
diff --git a/tests/virbuftest.c b/tests/virbuftest.c
index 8b8754adfa..246c572bd2 100644
--- a/tests/virbuftest.c
+++ b/tests/virbuftest.c
@@ -85,12 +85,12 @@ static int testBufAutoIndent(const void *data G_GNUC_UNUSED)
         ret = -1;
     }
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, -3);
-    if (virBufferGetIndent(buf, false) != -1 ||
-        virBufferGetIndent(buf, true) != -1 ||
-        virBufferError(buf) != -1) {
-        VIR_TEST_DEBUG("Usage error not flagged");
+    if (virBufferGetIndent(buf, false) != 0 ||
+        virBufferGetIndent(buf, true) != 0) {
+        VIR_TEST_DEBUG("Indentation level not truncated");
         ret = -1;
     }
+    virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 3);
     virBufferFreeAndReset(buf);
     if (virBufferGetIndent(buf, false) != 0 ||
         virBufferGetIndent(buf, true) != 0 ||
@@ -298,32 +298,6 @@ static int testBufAddBuffer(const void *data G_GNUC_UNUSED)
     return ret;
 }
 
-static int
-testBufAddBuffer2(const void *opaque G_GNUC_UNUSED)
-{
-    g_auto(virBuffer) buf1 = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
-    g_auto(virBuffer) buf2 = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
-
-    /* Intent of this test is to demonstrate a memleak that happen with
-     * virBufferAddBuffer */
-
-    virBufferAddLit(&buf1, "Hello world!\n");
-    virBufferAddLit(&buf2, "Hello world!\n");
-
-    /* Intentional usage error */
-    virBufferAdjustIndent(&buf2, -2);
-
-    virBufferAddBuffer(&buf1, &buf2);
-
-    if (virBufferCurrentContent(&buf1) ||
-        !virBufferCurrentContent(&buf2)) {
-        VIR_TEST_DEBUG("Unexpected buffer content");
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 struct testBufAddStrData {
     const char *data;
     const char *expect;
@@ -481,7 +455,6 @@ mymain(void)
     DO_TEST("Auto-indentation", testBufAutoIndent, 0);
     DO_TEST("Trim", testBufTrim, 0);
     DO_TEST("AddBuffer", testBufAddBuffer, 0);
-    DO_TEST("AddBuffer2", testBufAddBuffer2, 0);
     DO_TEST("set indent", testBufSetIndent, 0);
     DO_TEST("autoclean", testBufferAutoclean, 0);