diff --git a/docs/src/udp.rst b/docs/src/udp.rst
index 193a86b9e..e4126fc4c 100644
--- a/docs/src/udp.rst
+++ b/docs/src/udp.rst
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ Data types
              */
             UV_UDP_REUSEPORT = 64,
             /*
-             * Indicates that recvmmsg should be used, if available.
+             * Indicates that recvmmsg should be used, if available. The uv_alloc_cb
+             * for this handle should create buffers that are multiples of 64 KiB.
              */
             UV_UDP_RECVMMSG = 256
         };
@@ -168,7 +169,8 @@ API
     The remaining bits can be used to set one of these flags:
 
     * `UV_UDP_RECVMMSG`: if set, and the platform supports it, :man:`recvmmsg(2)` will
-      be used.
+      be used. The :c:type:`uv_alloc_cb` for this handle should create
+      buffers that are multiples of 64 KiB.
 
     .. versionadded:: 1.7.0
     .. versionchanged:: 1.37.0 added the `UV_UDP_RECVMMSG` flag.
@@ -481,8 +483,8 @@ API
         `suggested_size` in `alloc_cb` for udp_recv is always set to the size of 1 max size dgram.
 
     .. versionchanged:: 1.35.0 added support for :man:`recvmmsg(2)` on supported platforms).
-                        The use of this feature requires a buffer larger than
-                        2 * 64KB to be passed to `alloc_cb`.
+                        The :c:type:`uv_alloc_cb` for this handle should create
+                        buffers that are multiples of 64 KiB.
     .. versionchanged:: 1.37.0 :man:`recvmmsg(2)` support is no longer enabled implicitly,
                         it must be explicitly requested by passing the `UV_UDP_RECVMMSG` flag to
                         :c:func:`uv_udp_init_ex`.
diff --git a/include/uv.h b/include/uv.h
index da0634555..d435a8de3 100644
--- a/include/uv.h
+++ b/include/uv.h
@@ -705,7 +705,8 @@ enum uv_udp_flags {
    */
   UV_UDP_REUSEPORT = 64,
   /*
-   * Indicates that recvmmsg should be used, if available.
+   * Indicates that recvmmsg should be used, if available. The uv_alloc_cb
+   * for this handle should create buffers that are multiples of 64 KiB.
    */
   UV_UDP_RECVMMSG = 256
 };
diff --git a/src/unix/udp.c b/src/unix/udp.c
index c520128bc..c497f1af2 100644
--- a/src/unix/udp.c
+++ b/src/unix/udp.c
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@ static int uv__udp_recvmmsg(uv_udp_t* handle, uv_buf_t* buf, int flag) {
 
   /* prepare structures for recvmmsg */
   chunks = buf->len / UV__UDP_DGRAM_MAXSIZE;
+  if (chunks == 0)
+    return UV_EINVAL;
   if (chunks > ARRAY_SIZE(iov))
     chunks = ARRAY_SIZE(iov);
   for (k = 0; k < chunks; ++k) {
@@ -316,8 +318,11 @@ static void uv__udp_recvmsg(uv_udp_t* handle, int flag) {
 
     if (uv_udp_using_recvmmsg(handle)) {
       nread = uv__udp_recvmmsg(handle, &buf, flag);
-      if (nread > 0)
-        count -= nread;
+      if (nread <= 0) {
+        handle->recv_cb(handle, nread, &buf, NULL, 0);
+        return;
+      }
+      count -= nread;
       continue;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/test-list.h b/test/test-list.h
index 4e8ce1aba..b417f2b87 100644
--- a/test/test-list.h
+++ b/test/test-list.h
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ TEST_DECLARE   (udp_recvmsg_unreachable_error)
 TEST_DECLARE   (udp_recvmsg_unreachable_error6)
 TEST_DECLARE   (udp_send_pollerr_no_recv)
 TEST_DECLARE   (udp_mmsg)
+TEST_DECLARE   (udp_mmsg_small_buf)
 TEST_DECLARE   (udp_multicast_join)
 TEST_DECLARE   (udp_multicast_join6)
 TEST_DECLARE   (udp_multicast_ttl)
@@ -826,6 +827,7 @@ TASK_LIST_START
   TEST_ENTRY  (udp_options6)
   TEST_ENTRY  (udp_no_autobind)
   TEST_ENTRY  (udp_mmsg)
+  TEST_ENTRY  (udp_mmsg_small_buf)
   TEST_ENTRY  (udp_multicast_interface)
   TEST_ENTRY  (udp_multicast_interface6)
   TEST_ENTRY  (udp_multicast_join)
diff --git a/test/test-udp-mmsg.c b/test/test-udp-mmsg.c
index 73213c43d..108ffea6b 100644
--- a/test/test-udp-mmsg.c
+++ b/test/test-udp-mmsg.c
@@ -106,6 +106,31 @@ static void recv_cb(uv_udp_t* handle,
 }
 
 
+static void small_alloc_cb(uv_handle_t* handle,
+                           size_t suggested_size,
+                           uv_buf_t* buf) {
+  CHECK_HANDLE(handle);
+  buf->len = 64;
+  buf->base = malloc(buf->len);
+  ASSERT_NOT_NULL(buf->base);
+  alloc_cb_called++;
+}
+
+
+static void small_recv_cb(uv_udp_t* handle,
+                          ssize_t nread,
+                          const uv_buf_t* rcvbuf,
+                          const struct sockaddr* addr,
+                          unsigned flags) {
+  CHECK_HANDLE(handle);
+  ASSERT_EQ(UV_EINVAL, nread);
+  uv_close((uv_handle_t*) &recver, close_cb);
+  uv_close((uv_handle_t*) &sender, close_cb);
+  free(rcvbuf->base);
+  recv_cb_called++;
+}
+
+
 TEST_IMPL(udp_mmsg) {
   struct sockaddr_in addr;
   uv_buf_t buf;
@@ -148,3 +173,31 @@ TEST_IMPL(udp_mmsg) {
   MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY(uv_default_loop());
   return 0;
 }
+
+
+TEST_IMPL(udp_mmsg_small_buf) {
+  struct sockaddr_in addr;
+  uv_loop_t* loop;
+  uv_buf_t buf;
+
+  loop = uv_default_loop();
+  ASSERT_OK(uv_udp_init_ex(loop, &recver, AF_UNSPEC | UV_UDP_RECVMMSG));
+  if (uv_udp_using_recvmmsg(&recver)) {
+    ASSERT_OK(uv_ip4_addr("0.0.0.0", TEST_PORT, &addr));
+    ASSERT_OK(uv_udp_bind(&recver, (const struct sockaddr*) &addr, 0));
+    ASSERT_OK(uv_udp_recv_start(&recver, small_alloc_cb, small_recv_cb));
+    ASSERT_OK(uv_ip4_addr("127.0.0.1", TEST_PORT, &addr));
+    ASSERT_OK(uv_udp_init(loop, &sender));
+    buf = uv_buf_init("PING", 4);
+    ASSERT_EQ(4, uv_udp_try_send(&sender, &buf, 1, (const struct sockaddr*) &addr));
+    ASSERT_OK(uv_run(loop, UV_RUN_DEFAULT));
+    ASSERT_EQ(1, recv_cb_called);
+    ASSERT_EQ(2, close_cb_called);
+  } else {
+    uv_close((uv_handle_t*) &recver, close_cb);
+    ASSERT_OK(uv_run(loop, UV_RUN_DEFAULT));
+    ASSERT_EQ(1, close_cb_called);
+  }
+  MAKE_VALGRIND_HAPPY(loop);
+  return 0;
+}