diff --git a/sock.go b/sock.go
index 4e91a9c..b68f240 100644
--- a/sock.go
+++ b/sock.go
@@ -15,13 +15,9 @@ type mmsghdr struct {
 
 func htons(v uint16) uint16 { return v<<8 | v>>8 }
 
-func setBufForce(fd, forceOpt, opt, size int) error {
-	if err := unix.SetsockoptInt(fd, unix.SOL_SOCKET, forceOpt, size); err == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-	return unix.SetsockoptInt(fd, unix.SOL_SOCKET, opt, size)
-}
-
+// Set through the FORCE options alone: the plain ones are clamped to wmem_max
+// and rmem_max, so falling back to them would quietly leave a fraction of this
+// and go on measuring as though it had not.
 const (
 	sndbufBytes = 8 << 20
 	rcvbufBytes = 64 << 20
@@ -40,7 +36,7 @@ func openTxSocket(ifindex int) (int, error) {
 		unix.Close(fd)
 		return -1, fmt.Errorf("qdisc bypass: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := setBufForce(fd, unix.SO_SNDBUFFORCE, unix.SO_SNDBUF, sndbufBytes); err != nil {
+	if err := unix.SetsockoptInt(fd, unix.SOL_SOCKET, unix.SO_SNDBUFFORCE, sndbufBytes); err != nil {
 		unix.Close(fd)
 		return -1, fmt.Errorf("sndbuf: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -53,7 +49,7 @@ func openRxSocket(ifindex int, etherType uint16) (int, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return -1, fmt.Errorf("socket: %w", err)
 	}
-	if err := setBufForce(fd, unix.SO_RCVBUFFORCE, unix.SO_RCVBUF, rcvbufBytes); err != nil {
+	if err := unix.SetsockoptInt(fd, unix.SOL_SOCKET, unix.SO_RCVBUFFORCE, rcvbufBytes); err != nil {
 		unix.Close(fd)
 		return -1, fmt.Errorf("rcvbuf: %w", err)
 	}