diff --git a/arch/um/os-Linux/umid.c b/arch/um/os-Linux/umid.c
index 198e591632887ce4b7abc0c9a39cfbd3b41c25c4..34bfc1bb9e38665f604b3b14c9521010b078a40f 100644
--- a/arch/um/os-Linux/umid.c
+++ b/arch/um/os-Linux/umid.c
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ static int not_dead_yet(char *dir)
 
 	dead = 0;
 	fd = open(file, O_RDONLY);
-	if(fd < 0){
+	if(fd < 0) {
+		fd = -errno;
 		if(fd != -ENOENT){
 			printk("not_dead_yet : couldn't open pid file '%s', "
 			       "err = %d\n", file, -fd);
@@ -130,9 +131,13 @@ static int not_dead_yet(char *dir)
 
 	err = 0;
 	n = read(fd, pid, sizeof(pid));
-	if(n <= 0){
+	if(n < 0){
+		printk("not_dead_yet : couldn't read pid file '%s', "
+		       "err = %d\n", file, errno);
+		goto out_close;
+	} else if(n == 0){
 		printk("not_dead_yet : couldn't read pid file '%s', "
-		       "err = %d\n", file, -n);
+		       "0-byte read\n", file);
 		goto out_close;
 	}
 
@@ -155,9 +160,9 @@ static int not_dead_yet(char *dir)
 
 	return err;
 
- out_close:
+out_close:
 	close(fd);
- out:
+out:
 	return 0;
 }