diff --git a/compel/arch/x86/src/lib/infect.c b/compel/arch/x86/src/lib/infect.c
index 048b2498fd..8451e530f5 100644
--- a/compel/arch/x86/src/lib/infect.c
+++ b/compel/arch/x86/src/lib/infect.c
@@ -274,6 +274,10 @@ static int get_task_xsave(pid_t pid, user_fpregs_struct_t *xsave)
 		unsigned long features = 0;
 
 		if (ptrace(PTRACE_ARCH_PRCTL, pid, (unsigned long)&features, ARCH_SHSTK_STATUS)) {
+			/* kernels that don't support shadow stack return -EINVAL */
+			if (errno == EINVAL)
+				return 0;
+
 			pr_perror("shstk: can't get shadow stack status for %d", pid);
 			return -1;
 		}