diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
index b4fbfebafd264c7155b156b67bddc1f2958f33f6..d2336673601c44b1f5ea137efcdab44f2c6ec45b 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
@@ -2328,11 +2328,14 @@ static inline void ata_tf_to_host(struct ata_port *ap,
  *	Sleep until ATA Status register bit BSY clears,
  *	or a timeout occurs.
  *
- *	LOCKING: None.
+ *	LOCKING:
+ *	Kernel thread context (may sleep).
+ *
+ *	RETURNS:
+ *	0 on success, -errno otherwise.
  */
-
-unsigned int ata_busy_sleep (struct ata_port *ap,
-			     unsigned long tmout_pat, unsigned long tmout)
+int ata_busy_sleep(struct ata_port *ap,
+		   unsigned long tmout_pat, unsigned long tmout)
 {
 	unsigned long timer_start, timeout;
 	u8 status;
@@ -2340,27 +2343,32 @@ unsigned int ata_busy_sleep (struct ata_port *ap,
 	status = ata_busy_wait(ap, ATA_BUSY, 300);
 	timer_start = jiffies;
 	timeout = timer_start + tmout_pat;
-	while ((status & ATA_BUSY) && (time_before(jiffies, timeout))) {
+	while (status != 0xff && (status & ATA_BUSY) &&
+	       time_before(jiffies, timeout)) {
 		msleep(50);
 		status = ata_busy_wait(ap, ATA_BUSY, 3);
 	}
 
-	if (status & ATA_BUSY)
+	if (status != 0xff && (status & ATA_BUSY))
 		ata_port_printk(ap, KERN_WARNING,
 				"port is slow to respond, please be patient "
 				"(Status 0x%x)\n", status);
 
 	timeout = timer_start + tmout;
-	while ((status & ATA_BUSY) && (time_before(jiffies, timeout))) {
+	while (status != 0xff && (status & ATA_BUSY) &&
+	       time_before(jiffies, timeout)) {
 		msleep(50);
 		status = ata_chk_status(ap);
 	}
 
+	if (status == 0xff)
+		return -ENODEV;
+
 	if (status & ATA_BUSY) {
 		ata_port_printk(ap, KERN_ERR, "port failed to respond "
 				"(%lu secs, Status 0x%x)\n",
 				tmout / HZ, status);
-		return 1;
+		return -EBUSY;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
@@ -2451,10 +2459,8 @@ static unsigned int ata_bus_softreset(struct ata_port *ap,
 	 * the bus shows 0xFF because the odd clown forgets the D7
 	 * pulldown resistor.
 	 */
-	if (ata_check_status(ap) == 0xFF) {
-		ata_port_printk(ap, KERN_ERR, "SRST failed (status 0xFF)\n");
-		return AC_ERR_OTHER;
-	}
+	if (ata_check_status(ap) == 0xFF)
+		return 0;
 
 	ata_bus_post_reset(ap, devmask);
 
diff --git a/include/linux/libata.h b/include/linux/libata.h
index 2300fcc37f80627025e1b7f02c265b6697b771ad..6c003d852a88ed09db677571f018943edfccf96b 100644
--- a/include/linux/libata.h
+++ b/include/linux/libata.h
@@ -746,9 +746,8 @@ extern int ata_scsi_device_suspend(struct scsi_device *, pm_message_t mesg);
 extern int ata_host_suspend(struct ata_host *host, pm_message_t mesg);
 extern void ata_host_resume(struct ata_host *host);
 extern int ata_ratelimit(void);
-extern unsigned int ata_busy_sleep(struct ata_port *ap,
-				   unsigned long timeout_pat,
-				   unsigned long timeout);
+extern int ata_busy_sleep(struct ata_port *ap,
+			  unsigned long timeout_pat, unsigned long timeout);
 extern void ata_port_queue_task(struct ata_port *ap, void (*fn)(void *),
 				void *data, unsigned long delay);
 extern u32 ata_wait_register(void __iomem *reg, u32 mask, u32 val,
@@ -1064,7 +1063,7 @@ static inline u8 ata_busy_wait(struct ata_port *ap, unsigned int bits,
 		udelay(10);
 		status = ata_chk_status(ap);
 		max--;
-	} while ((status & bits) && (max > 0));
+	} while (status != 0xff && (status & bits) && (max > 0));
 
 	return status;
 }
@@ -1085,7 +1084,7 @@ static inline u8 ata_wait_idle(struct ata_port *ap)
 {
 	u8 status = ata_busy_wait(ap, ATA_BUSY | ATA_DRQ, 1000);
 
-	if (status & (ATA_BUSY | ATA_DRQ)) {
+	if (status != 0xff && (status & (ATA_BUSY | ATA_DRQ))) {
 		unsigned long l = ap->ioaddr.status_addr;
 		if (ata_msg_warn(ap))
 			printk(KERN_WARNING "ATA: abnormal status 0x%X on port 0x%lX\n",