diff --git a/src/archive/tar/reader.go b/src/archive/tar/reader.go
index 67db71540c..f38f8c8ce6 100644
--- a/src/archive/tar/reader.go
+++ b/src/archive/tar/reader.go
@@ -165,18 +165,24 @@ func (tr *Reader) Next() (*Header, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		hdr, err := tr.Next()
+		hdr, tr.err = tr.Next()
+		if tr.err != nil {
+			return nil, tr.err
+		}
 		hdr.Name = cString(realname)
-		return hdr, err
+		return hdr, nil
 	case TypeGNULongLink:
 		// We have a GNU long link header.
 		realname, err := ioutil.ReadAll(tr)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		hdr, err := tr.Next()
+		hdr, tr.err = tr.Next()
+		if tr.err != nil {
+			return nil, tr.err
+		}
 		hdr.Linkname = cString(realname)
-		return hdr, err
+		return hdr, nil
 	}
 	return hdr, tr.err
 }
diff --git a/src/archive/tar/reader_test.go b/src/archive/tar/reader_test.go
index 4d065a9591..604d13f57b 100644
--- a/src/archive/tar/reader_test.go
+++ b/src/archive/tar/reader_test.go
@@ -300,6 +300,14 @@ var untarTests = []*untarTest{
 		file: "testdata/issue11169.tar",
 		// TODO(dsnet): Currently the library does not detect that this file is
 		// malformed. Instead it incorrectly believes that file just ends.
+		// At least the library doesn't crash anymore.
+		// err:  ErrHeader,
+	},
+	{
+		file: "testdata/issue12435.tar",
+		// TODO(dsnet): Currently the library does not detect that this file is
+		// malformed. Instead, it incorrectly believes that file just ends.
+		// At least the library doesn't crash anymore.
 		// err:  ErrHeader,
 	},
 }
diff --git a/src/archive/tar/testdata/issue12435.tar b/src/archive/tar/testdata/issue12435.tar
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3542dd8efd
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/archive/tar/testdata/issue12435.tar differ