diff --git a/cmd/setexpr.c b/cmd/setexpr.c
index 233471f6cb7..ab76824a32b 100644
--- a/cmd/setexpr.c
+++ b/cmd/setexpr.c
@@ -216,14 +216,12 @@ int setexpr_regex_sub(char *data, uint data_size, char *nbuf, uint nbuf_size,
 		if (res == 0) {
 			if (loop == 0) {
 				debug("%s: No match\n", data);
-				return 1;
 			} else {
-				break;
+				debug("## MATCH ## %s\n", data);
 			}
+			break;
 		}
 
-		debug("## MATCH ## %s\n", data);
-
 		if (!s)
 			return 1;
 
@@ -540,7 +538,8 @@ U_BOOT_CMD(
 	"    - For each substring matching the regular expression <r> in the\n"
 	"      string <t>, substitute the string <s>.  The result is\n"
 	"      assigned to <name>.  If <t> is not supplied, use the old\n"
-	"      value of <name>\n"
+	"      value of <name>. If no substring matching <r> is found in <t>,\n"
+	"      assign <t> to <name>.\n"
 	"setexpr name sub r s [t]\n"
 	"    - Just like gsub(), but replace only the first matching substring"
 #endif
diff --git a/doc/usage/cmd/setexpr.rst b/doc/usage/cmd/setexpr.rst
index d245a13ca88..593a0ea91e1 100644
--- a/doc/usage/cmd/setexpr.rst
+++ b/doc/usage/cmd/setexpr.rst
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ setexpr name gsub <r> <s> [<t>]
      string <t>, substitute the string <s>.
      The result is assigned to <name>.
      If <t> is not supplied, use the old value of <name>.
+     If no substring matching <r> is found in <t>, assign <t> to <name>.
 
 setexpr name sub <r> <s> [<t>]
      Just like gsub(), but replace only the first matching substring
diff --git a/test/cmd/setexpr.c b/test/cmd/setexpr.c
index 312593e1e32..ee329e94b85 100644
--- a/test/cmd/setexpr.c
+++ b/test/cmd/setexpr.c
@@ -179,6 +179,16 @@ static int setexpr_test_regex(struct unit_test_state *uts)
 	val = env_get("mary");
 	ut_asserteq_str("this is a test", val);
 
+	/* No match */
+	ut_assertok(run_command("setenv fred 'this is a test'", 0));
+	ut_assertok(run_command("setenv mary ''", 0));
+	ut_assertok(run_command("setexpr fred gsub us is \"${fred}\"", 0));
+	ut_assertok(run_command("setexpr mary gsub us is \"${fred}\"", 0));
+	val = env_get("fred");
+	ut_asserteq_str("this is a test", val);
+	val = env_get("mary");
+	ut_asserteq_str("this is a test", val);
+
 	unmap_sysmem(buf);
 
 	return 0;