diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
index 470db5eda..cd85766f2 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
@@ -2753,7 +2753,7 @@ otError MleRouter::HandleDiscoveryRequest(const Message &aMessage, const Ip6::Me
                 else // if steering data is not set out of band, fall back to network data
 #endif // OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_ENABLE_STEERING_DATA_SET_OOB
                 {
-                    VerifyOrExit(netif.GetNetworkDataLeader().IsJoiningEnabled(), error = OT_ERROR_NOT_CAPABLE);
+                    VerifyOrExit(netif.GetNetworkDataLeader().IsJoiningEnabled());
                 }
             }
 
@@ -2762,8 +2762,8 @@ otError MleRouter::HandleDiscoveryRequest(const Message &aMessage, const Ip6::Me
         case MeshCoP::Tlv::kExtendedPanId:
             aMessage.Read(offset, sizeof(extPanId), &extPanId);
             VerifyOrExit(extPanId.IsValid(), error = OT_ERROR_PARSE);
-            VerifyOrExit(memcmp(netif.GetMac().GetExtendedPanId(), extPanId.GetExtendedPanId(), OT_EXT_PAN_ID_SIZE),
-                         error = OT_ERROR_DROP);
+            VerifyOrExit(memcmp(netif.GetMac().GetExtendedPanId(), extPanId.GetExtendedPanId(), OT_EXT_PAN_ID_SIZE));
+
             break;
 
         default: