diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c b/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c
index bae20ad..fbb6e5e 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/crypto.c
@@ -509,13 +509,14 @@
 				  + extent_offset), crypt_stat);
 		rc = ecryptfs_write_lower(ecryptfs_inode, enc_extent_virt,
 					  offset, crypt_stat->extent_size);
-		if (rc) {
+		if (rc < 0) {
 			ecryptfs_printk(KERN_ERR, "Error attempting "
 					"to write lower page; rc = [%d]"
 					"\n", rc);
 			goto out;
 		}
 	}
+	rc = 0;
 out:
 	if (enc_extent_page) {
 		kunmap(enc_extent_page);
@@ -631,7 +632,7 @@
 		rc = ecryptfs_read_lower(enc_extent_virt, offset,
 					 crypt_stat->extent_size,
 					 ecryptfs_inode);
-		if (rc) {
+		if (rc < 0) {
 			ecryptfs_printk(KERN_ERR, "Error attempting "
 					"to read lower page; rc = [%d]"
 					"\n", rc);
@@ -1213,14 +1214,15 @@
 		crypt_stat->extent_size = ECRYPTFS_DEFAULT_EXTENT_SIZE;
 	rc = ecryptfs_read_lower(data, 0, crypt_stat->extent_size,
 				 ecryptfs_inode);
-	if (rc) {
+	if (rc < 0) {
 		printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Error reading header region; rc = [%d]\n",
 		       __func__, rc);
 		goto out;
 	}
 	if (!contains_ecryptfs_marker(data + ECRYPTFS_FILE_SIZE_BYTES)) {
 		rc = -EINVAL;
-	}
+	} else
+		rc = 0;
 out:
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -1315,10 +1317,11 @@
 
 	rc = ecryptfs_write_lower(ecryptfs_dentry->d_inode, virt,
 				  0, virt_len);
-	if (rc)
+	if (rc < 0)
 		printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Error attempting to write header "
-		       "information to lower file; rc = [%d]\n", __func__,
-		       rc);
+		       "information to lower file; rc = [%d]\n", __func__, rc);
+	else
+		rc = 0;
 	return rc;
 }
 
@@ -1598,7 +1601,7 @@
 	}
 	rc = ecryptfs_read_lower(page_virt, 0, crypt_stat->extent_size,
 				 ecryptfs_inode);
-	if (!rc)
+	if (rc >= 0)
 		rc = ecryptfs_read_headers_virt(page_virt, crypt_stat,
 						ecryptfs_dentry,
 						ECRYPTFS_VALIDATE_HEADER_SIZE);
diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/mmap.c b/fs/ecryptfs/mmap.c
index 05772ae..df4ce99d 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/mmap.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/mmap.c
@@ -396,9 +396,11 @@
 	rc = ecryptfs_write_lower(ecryptfs_inode, file_size_virt, 0,
 				  sizeof(u64));
 	kfree(file_size_virt);
-	if (rc)
+	if (rc < 0)
 		printk(KERN_ERR "%s: Error writing file size to header; "
 		       "rc = [%d]\n", __func__, rc);
+	else
+		rc = 0;
 out:
 	return rc;
 }
diff --git a/fs/ecryptfs/read_write.c b/fs/ecryptfs/read_write.c
index a137c6e..0cc4faf 100644
--- a/fs/ecryptfs/read_write.c
+++ b/fs/ecryptfs/read_write.c
@@ -34,15 +34,14 @@
  *
  * Write data to the lower file.
  *
- * Returns zero on success; non-zero on error
+ * Returns bytes written on success; less than zero on error
  */
 int ecryptfs_write_lower(struct inode *ecryptfs_inode, char *data,
 			 loff_t offset, size_t size)
 {
 	struct ecryptfs_inode_info *inode_info;
-	ssize_t octets_written;
 	mm_segment_t fs_save;
-	int rc = 0;
+	ssize_t rc;
 
 	inode_info = ecryptfs_inode_to_private(ecryptfs_inode);
 	mutex_lock(&inode_info->lower_file_mutex);
@@ -50,14 +49,9 @@
 	inode_info->lower_file->f_pos = offset;
 	fs_save = get_fs();
 	set_fs(get_ds());
-	octets_written = vfs_write(inode_info->lower_file, data, size,
-				   &inode_info->lower_file->f_pos);
+	rc = vfs_write(inode_info->lower_file, data, size,
+		       &inode_info->lower_file->f_pos);
 	set_fs(fs_save);
-	if (octets_written < 0) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "%s: octets_written = [%td]; "
-		       "expected [%td]\n", __func__, octets_written, size);
-		rc = -EINVAL;
-	}
 	mutex_unlock(&inode_info->lower_file_mutex);
 	mark_inode_dirty_sync(ecryptfs_inode);
 	return rc;
@@ -91,6 +85,8 @@
 		  + offset_in_page);
 	virt = kmap(page_for_lower);
 	rc = ecryptfs_write_lower(ecryptfs_inode, virt, offset, size);
+	if (rc > 0)
+		rc = 0;
 	kunmap(page_for_lower);
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -229,30 +225,24 @@
  * Read @size bytes of data at byte offset @offset from the lower
  * inode into memory location @data.
  *
- * Returns zero on success; non-zero on error
+ * Returns bytes read on success; 0 on EOF; less than zero on error
  */
 int ecryptfs_read_lower(char *data, loff_t offset, size_t size,
 			struct inode *ecryptfs_inode)
 {
 	struct ecryptfs_inode_info *inode_info =
 		ecryptfs_inode_to_private(ecryptfs_inode);
-	ssize_t octets_read;
 	mm_segment_t fs_save;
-	int rc = 0;
+	ssize_t rc;
 
 	mutex_lock(&inode_info->lower_file_mutex);
 	BUG_ON(!inode_info->lower_file);
 	inode_info->lower_file->f_pos = offset;
 	fs_save = get_fs();
 	set_fs(get_ds());
-	octets_read = vfs_read(inode_info->lower_file, data, size,
-			       &inode_info->lower_file->f_pos);
+	rc = vfs_read(inode_info->lower_file, data, size,
+		      &inode_info->lower_file->f_pos);
 	set_fs(fs_save);
-	if (octets_read < 0) {
-		printk(KERN_ERR "%s: octets_read = [%td]; "
-		       "expected [%td]\n", __func__, octets_read, size);
-		rc = -EINVAL;
-	}
 	mutex_unlock(&inode_info->lower_file_mutex);
 	return rc;
 }
@@ -284,6 +274,8 @@
 	offset = ((((loff_t)page_index) << PAGE_CACHE_SHIFT) + offset_in_page);
 	virt = kmap(page_for_ecryptfs);
 	rc = ecryptfs_read_lower(virt, offset, size, ecryptfs_inode);
+	if (rc > 0)
+		rc = 0;
 	kunmap(page_for_ecryptfs);
 	flush_dcache_page(page_for_ecryptfs);
 	return rc;