diff --git a/src/internal/poll/sendfile_bsd.go b/src/internal/poll/sendfile_bsd.go
index 89315a8c673..0f55cad73dc 100644
--- a/src/internal/poll/sendfile_bsd.go
+++ b/src/internal/poll/sendfile_bsd.go
@@ -13,18 +13,21 @@ import "syscall"
 const maxSendfileSize int = 4 << 20
 
 // SendFile wraps the sendfile system call.
-func SendFile(dstFD *FD, src int, pos, remain int64) (int64, error) {
+func SendFile(dstFD *FD, src int, pos, remain int64) (int64, error, bool) {
 	if err := dstFD.writeLock(); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+		return 0, err, false
 	}
 	defer dstFD.writeUnlock()
 	if err := dstFD.pd.prepareWrite(dstFD.isFile); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+		return 0, err, false
 	}
 
 	dst := dstFD.Sysfd
-	var written int64
-	var err error
+	var (
+		written int64
+		err     error
+		handled = true
+	)
 	for remain > 0 {
 		n := maxSendfileSize
 		if int64(n) > remain {
@@ -52,8 +55,9 @@ func SendFile(dstFD *FD, src int, pos, remain int64) (int64, error) {
 			// support) and syscall.EINVAL (fd types which
 			// don't implement sendfile)
 			err = err1
+			handled = false
 			break
 		}
 	}
-	return written, err
+	return written, err, handled
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/poll/sendfile_solaris.go b/src/internal/poll/sendfile_solaris.go
index 7ae18f4b1a6..f9f685c64a6 100644
--- a/src/internal/poll/sendfile_solaris.go
+++ b/src/internal/poll/sendfile_solaris.go
@@ -16,18 +16,21 @@ import "syscall"
 const maxSendfileSize int = 4 << 20
 
 // SendFile wraps the sendfile system call.
-func SendFile(dstFD *FD, src int, pos, remain int64) (int64, error) {
+func SendFile(dstFD *FD, src int, pos, remain int64) (int64, error, bool) {
 	if err := dstFD.writeLock(); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+		return 0, err, false
 	}
 	defer dstFD.writeUnlock()
 	if err := dstFD.pd.prepareWrite(dstFD.isFile); err != nil {
-		return 0, err
+		return 0, err, false
 	}
 
 	dst := dstFD.Sysfd
-	var written int64
-	var err error
+	var (
+		written int64
+		err     error
+		handled = true
+	)
 	for remain > 0 {
 		n := maxSendfileSize
 		if int64(n) > remain {
@@ -59,8 +62,9 @@ func SendFile(dstFD *FD, src int, pos, remain int64) (int64, error) {
 			// support) and syscall.EINVAL (fd types which
 			// don't implement sendfile)
 			err = err1
+			handled = false
 			break
 		}
 	}
-	return written, err
+	return written, err, handled
 }
diff --git a/src/net/sendfile_test.go b/src/net/sendfile_test.go
index 997a0ed01f1..4cba1ed2b16 100644
--- a/src/net/sendfile_test.go
+++ b/src/net/sendfile_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package net
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
@@ -360,3 +361,88 @@ func TestSendfileOnWriteTimeoutExceeded(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+func BenchmarkSendfileZeroBytes(b *testing.B) {
+	var (
+		wg          sync.WaitGroup
+		ctx, cancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	)
+
+	defer wg.Wait()
+
+	ln := newLocalListener(b, "tcp")
+	defer ln.Close()
+
+	tempFile, err := os.CreateTemp(b.TempDir(), "test.txt")
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatalf("failed to create temp file: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer tempFile.Close()
+
+	fileName := tempFile.Name()
+
+	dataSize := b.N
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func(f *os.File) {
+		defer wg.Done()
+
+		for i := 0; i < dataSize; i++ {
+			if _, err := f.Write([]byte{1}); err != nil {
+				b.Errorf("failed to write: %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+			if i%1000 == 0 {
+				f.Sync()
+			}
+		}
+	}(tempFile)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	b.ReportAllocs()
+
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func(ln Listener, fileName string) {
+		defer wg.Done()
+
+		conn, err := ln.Accept()
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Errorf("failed to accept: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+		defer conn.Close()
+
+		f, err := os.OpenFile(fileName, os.O_RDONLY, 0660)
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Errorf("failed to open file: %v", err)
+			return
+		}
+		defer f.Close()
+
+		for {
+			if ctx.Err() != nil {
+				return
+			}
+
+			if _, err := io.Copy(conn, f); err != nil {
+				b.Errorf("failed to copy: %v", err)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}(ln, fileName)
+
+	conn, err := Dial("tcp", ln.Addr().String())
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatalf("failed to dial: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	n, err := io.CopyN(io.Discard, conn, int64(dataSize))
+	if err != nil {
+		b.Fatalf("failed to copy: %v", err)
+	}
+	if n != int64(dataSize) {
+		b.Fatalf("expected %d copied bytes, but got %d", dataSize, n)
+	}
+
+	cancel()
+}
diff --git a/src/net/sendfile_unix_alt.go b/src/net/sendfile_unix_alt.go
index b86771721ee..5cb65ee7670 100644
--- a/src/net/sendfile_unix_alt.go
+++ b/src/net/sendfile_unix_alt.go
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ import (
 // sendFile copies the contents of r to c using the sendfile
 // system call to minimize copies.
 //
-// if handled == true, sendFile returns the number of bytes copied and any
-// non-EOF error.
+// if handled == true, sendFile returns the number (potentially zero) of bytes
+// copied and any non-EOF error.
 //
 // if handled == false, sendFile performed no work.
 func sendFile(c *netFD, r io.Reader) (written int64, err error, handled bool) {
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func sendFile(c *netFD, r io.Reader) (written int64, err error, handled bool) {
 
 	var werr error
 	err = sc.Read(func(fd uintptr) bool {
-		written, werr = poll.SendFile(&c.pfd, int(fd), pos, remain)
+		written, werr, handled = poll.SendFile(&c.pfd, int(fd), pos, remain)
 		return true
 	})
 	if err == nil {
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ func sendFile(c *netFD, r io.Reader) (written int64, err error, handled bool) {
 
 	_, err1 := f.Seek(written, io.SeekCurrent)
 	if err1 != nil && err == nil {
-		return written, err1, written > 0
+		return written, err1, handled
 	}
 
-	return written, wrapSyscallError("sendfile", err), written > 0
+	return written, wrapSyscallError("sendfile", err), handled
 }