diff --git a/src/networking.c b/src/networking.c
index c08d71998..af7422178 100644
--- a/src/networking.c
+++ b/src/networking.c
@@ -360,11 +360,12 @@ void addReplyErrorLength(client *c, const char *s, size_t len) {
         serverLog(LL_WARNING,"== CRITICAL == This %s is sending an error "
                              "to its %s: '%s' after processing the command "
                              "'%s'", from, to, s, cmdname);
-        /* Here we want to panic because when an instance is sending an
-         * error to another instance in the context of replication, this can
+        /* Here we want to panic because when a master is sending an
+         * error to some slave in the context of replication, this can
          * only create some kind of offset or data desynchronization. Better
          * to catch it ASAP and crash instead of continuing. */
-        serverPanic("Continuing is unsafe: replication protocol violation.");
+        if (c->flags & CLIENT_SLAVE)
+            serverPanic("Continuing is unsafe: replication protocol violation.");
     }
 }