diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
index 7eda7ef276..ff42aa569a 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
@@ -947,8 +947,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
             goto cleanup;
 
         if (pid > 0) {
-            if ((rc = virFileWritePid(LXC_STATE_DIR, name, pid)) != 0) {
-                virReportSystemError(rc,
+            if ((rc = virFileWritePid(LXC_STATE_DIR, name, pid)) < 0) {
+                virReportSystemError(-rc,
                                      _("Unable to write pid file '%s/%s.pid'"),
                                      LXC_STATE_DIR, name);
                 _exit(1);
@@ -996,5 +996,5 @@ cleanup:
         unlink(sockpath);
     VIR_FREE(sockpath);
 
-    return rc;
+    return rc ? EXIT_FAILURE : EXIT_SUCCESS;
 }
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 615d2c647b..7d99d27ee8 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -1612,8 +1612,8 @@ static int lxcVmStart(virConnectPtr conn,
         goto cleanup;
 
     /* And get its pid */
-    if ((r = virFileReadPid(driver->stateDir, vm->def->name, &vm->pid)) != 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(r,
+    if ((r = virFileReadPid(driver->stateDir, vm->def->name, &vm->pid)) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(-r,
                              _("Failed to read pid file %s/%s.pid"),
                              driver->stateDir, vm->def->name);
         goto cleanup;
diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index a21b538a5d..b1c6b12bf3 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -758,8 +758,9 @@ networkStartDhcpDaemon(virNetworkObjPtr network)
      * pid
      */
 
-    if (virFileReadPid(NETWORK_PID_DIR, network->def->name,
-                       &network->dnsmasqPid) < 0)
+    ret = virFileReadPid(NETWORK_PID_DIR, network->def->name,
+                         &network->dnsmasqPid);
+    if (ret < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     ret = 0;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 646215e0ac..b87c32060f 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -2754,7 +2754,7 @@ int qemuProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     /* wait for qemu process to show up */
     if (ret == 0) {
-        if (virFileReadPidPath(priv->pidfile, &vm->pid)) {
+        if (virFileReadPidPath(priv->pidfile, &vm->pid) < 0) {
             qemuReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                             _("Domain %s didn't show up"), vm->def->name);
             ret = -1;
diff --git a/src/util/command.c b/src/util/command.c
index 29ccaa4d7f..475eb62857 100644
--- a/src/util/command.c
+++ b/src/util/command.c
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ virExecWithHook(const char *const*argv,
         }
 
         if (pid > 0) {
-            if (pidfile && virFileWritePidPath(pidfile,pid)) {
+            if (pidfile && (virFileWritePidPath(pidfile,pid) < 0)) {
                 kill(pid, SIGTERM);
                 usleep(500*1000);
                 kill(pid, SIGTERM);
diff --git a/src/util/util.c b/src/util/util.c
index d83215ccc0..03a9e1adcd 100644
--- a/src/util/util.c
+++ b/src/util/util.c
@@ -1165,17 +1165,17 @@ int virFileWritePid(const char *dir,
     char *pidfile = NULL;
 
     if (name == NULL || dir == NULL) {
-        rc = EINVAL;
+        rc = -EINVAL;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (virFileMakePath(dir) < 0) {
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (!(pidfile = virFilePid(dir, name))) {
-        rc = ENOMEM;
+        rc = -ENOMEM;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -1196,18 +1196,18 @@ int virFileWritePidPath(const char *pidfile,
     if ((fd = open(pidfile,
                    O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC,
                    S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR)) < 0) {
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (!(file = VIR_FDOPEN(fd, "w"))) {
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
         VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (fprintf(file, "%d", pid) < 0) {
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -1215,7 +1215,7 @@ int virFileWritePidPath(const char *pidfile,
 
 cleanup:
     if (VIR_FCLOSE(file) < 0)
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
 
     return rc;
 }
@@ -1230,18 +1230,18 @@ int virFileReadPidPath(const char *path,
     *pid = 0;
 
     if (!(file = fopen(path, "r"))) {
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (fscanf(file, "%d", pid) != 1) {
-        rc = EINVAL;
+        rc = -EINVAL;
         VIR_FORCE_FCLOSE(file);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (VIR_FCLOSE(file) < 0) {
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -1261,12 +1261,12 @@ int virFileReadPid(const char *dir,
     *pid = 0;
 
     if (name == NULL || dir == NULL) {
-        rc = EINVAL;
+        rc = -EINVAL;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (!(pidfile = virFilePid(dir, name))) {
-        rc = ENOMEM;
+        rc = -ENOMEM;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -1284,17 +1284,17 @@ int virFileDeletePid(const char *dir,
     char *pidfile = NULL;
 
     if (name == NULL || dir == NULL) {
-        rc = EINVAL;
+        rc = -EINVAL;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (!(pidfile = virFilePid(dir, name))) {
-        rc = ENOMEM;
+        rc = -ENOMEM;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (unlink(pidfile) < 0 && errno != ENOENT)
-        rc = errno;
+        rc = -errno;
 
 cleanup:
     VIR_FREE(pidfile);
diff --git a/tests/commandtest.c b/tests/commandtest.c
index 9ab446c363..ef2850d257 100644
--- a/tests/commandtest.c
+++ b/tests/commandtest.c
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ static int test4(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (virFileReadPid(abs_builddir, "commandhelper", &pid) != 0) {
+    if (virFileReadPid(abs_builddir, "commandhelper", &pid) < 0) {
         printf("cannot read pidfile\n");
         goto cleanup;
     }
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ static int test18(const void *unused ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     }
     alarm(0);
 
-    if (virFileReadPid(abs_builddir, "commandhelper", &pid) != 0) {
+    if (virFileReadPid(abs_builddir, "commandhelper", &pid) < 0) {
         printf("cannot read pidfile\n");
         goto cleanup;
     }