diff --git a/drivers/iio/accel/mma9551_core.c b/drivers/iio/accel/mma9551_core.c
index 86437ddc5ca188b81abb4d6906388d85df9a7ecd..b898f865fb87591641767732aeec02afdaa881a8 100644
--- a/drivers/iio/accel/mma9551_core.c
+++ b/drivers/iio/accel/mma9551_core.c
@@ -296,9 +296,12 @@ int mma9551_read_config_word(struct i2c_client *client, u8 app_id,
 
 	ret = mma9551_transfer(client, app_id, MMA9551_CMD_READ_CONFIG,
 			       reg, NULL, 0, (u8 *)&v, 2);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
 	*val = be16_to_cpu(v);
 
-	return ret;
+	return 0;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_NS(mma9551_read_config_word, IIO_MMA9551);