diff --git a/include/condy/async_operations.hpp b/include/condy/async_operations.hpp
index 58341cf6..c05d48b8 100644
--- a/include/condy/async_operations.hpp
+++ b/include/condy/async_operations.hpp
@@ -930,11 +930,10 @@ inline auto async_uring_cmd128(int cmd_op, Fd fd, CmdFunc &&cmd_func,
                       cmd_func =
                           std::forward<CmdFunc>(cmd_func)](detail::Ring *ring) {
         auto *sqe = ring->get_sqe128();
-        if (!sqe) {
-            detail::panic_on("SQE128 not enabled in the ring");
+        if (sqe) {
+            io_uring_prep_uring_cmd128(sqe, cmd_op, fd);
+            cmd_func(sqe);
         }
-        io_uring_prep_uring_cmd128(sqe, cmd_op, fd);
-        cmd_func(sqe);
         return sqe;
     };
     auto op = build_op_awaiter<CQEHandler>(std::move(prep_func),
diff --git a/include/condy/detail/async_operations.hpp b/include/condy/detail/async_operations.hpp
index 4151939b..578c1acd 100644
--- a/include/condy/detail/async_operations.hpp
+++ b/include/condy/detail/async_operations.hpp
@@ -42,10 +42,9 @@ auto make_op_awaiter128(Func &&func, Args &&...args) {
                       ... args =
                           unwrap_fixed(std::forward<Args>(args))](Ring *ring) {
         auto *sqe = ring->get_sqe128();
-        if (!sqe) {
-            panic_on("SQE128 not enabled in the ring");
+        if (sqe) {
+            func(sqe, args...);
         }
-        func(sqe, args...);
         return sqe;
     };
     return build_op_awaiter<SimpleCQEHandler>(std::move(prep_func));
diff --git a/include/condy/detail/op_states.hpp b/include/condy/detail/op_states.hpp
index b026e51e..f3a68252 100644
--- a/include/condy/detail/op_states.hpp
+++ b/include/condy/detail/op_states.hpp
@@ -33,9 +33,14 @@ template <typename Handle, PrepFuncLike Func> class OpSenderOperationState {
     void start(unsigned int flags) noexcept {
         auto &context = Context::current();
         auto &ring = context.runtime()->ring_internal();
-        context.runtime()->pend_work_internal();
         io_uring_sqe *sqe = prep_func_(&ring);
-        assert(sqe && "prep_func must return a valid sqe");
+        if (sqe == nullptr) {
+            io_uring_cqe cqe = {};
+            cqe.res = -EINVAL;
+            finish_handle_.get().handle(&cqe);
+            return;
+        }
+        context.runtime()->pend_work_internal();
         io_uring_sqe_set_flags(sqe, sqe->flags | flags);
         auto work = encode_work(&finish_handle_.get(), WorkType::Common);
         io_uring_sqe_set_data64(sqe, work);
diff --git a/tests/test_async_operations.2.cpp b/tests/test_async_operations.2.cpp
index 17d77e78..57435ee7 100644
--- a/tests/test_async_operations.2.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_async_operations.2.cpp
@@ -152,6 +152,17 @@ TEST_CASE("test async_operations - test nop128 - sqe mixed") {
 }
 #endif
 
+#if CONDY_URING_VERSION_GE(2, 13) // >= 2.13
+TEST_CASE("test async_operations - test nop128 - no sqe128") {
+    condy::Runtime runtime;
+    auto func = [&]() -> condy::Coro<void> {
+        int r = co_await condy::async_nop128();
+        REQUIRE(r == -EINVAL);
+    };
+    condy::sync_wait(runtime, func());
+}
+#endif
+
 TEST_CASE("test async_operations - test timeout - basic") {
     auto func = [&]() -> condy::Coro<void> {
         __kernel_timespec ts = {
diff --git a/tests/test_async_operations.4.cpp b/tests/test_async_operations.4.cpp
index 062b016e..dc1c1f42 100644
--- a/tests/test_async_operations.4.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_async_operations.4.cpp
@@ -493,6 +493,26 @@ TEST_CASE("test async_operations - test uring_cmd_multishot - tx timestamp") {
 }
 #endif
 
+#if CONDY_URING_VERSION_GE(2, 13) // >= 2.13
+TEST_CASE("test async_operations - test uring_cmd128 - no sqe128") {
+    condy::Runtime runtime;
+
+    int listen_fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    REQUIRE(listen_fd >= 0);
+
+    auto func = [&]() -> condy::Coro<void> {
+        int val = 1;
+        int r = co_await my_async_cmd_sock<true>(
+            SOCKET_URING_OP_SETSOCKOPT, listen_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR,
+            &val, sizeof(val));
+        REQUIRE(r == -EINVAL);
+    };
+    condy::sync_wait(runtime, func());
+
+    close(listen_fd);
+}
+#endif
+
 #if CONDY_URING_VERSION_GE(2, 13) // >= 2.13
 TEST_CASE("test async_operations - test uring_cmd128 - cmd sock - basic") {
     condy::Runtime runtime(