diff --git a/include/linux/syslog.h b/include/linux/syslog.h
index 4b7b875a7ce1febdacb9f54c887210de0f28216f..c3a7f0cc3a275f711a0a41660825b00b2ae535f8 100644
--- a/include/linux/syslog.h
+++ b/include/linux/syslog.h
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@
 #define SYSLOG_FROM_READER           0
 #define SYSLOG_FROM_PROC             1
 
-int do_syslog(int type, char __user *buf, int count, bool from_file);
+int do_syslog(int type, char __user *buf, int count, int source);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_PRINTK
-int check_syslog_permissions(int type, bool from_file);
+int check_syslog_permissions(int type, int source);
 #else
-static inline int check_syslog_permissions(int type, bool from_file)
+static inline int check_syslog_permissions(int type, int source)
 {
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/kernel/printk/printk.c b/kernel/printk/printk.c
index 45fa8c88ac4721646c4fb5f9d307840d8c55f63b..de553849f3ac91378acae6b981140763faa9530f 100644
--- a/kernel/printk/printk.c
+++ b/kernel/printk/printk.c
@@ -489,13 +489,13 @@ static int syslog_action_restricted(int type)
 	       type != SYSLOG_ACTION_SIZE_BUFFER;
 }
 
-int check_syslog_permissions(int type, bool from_file)
+int check_syslog_permissions(int type, int source)
 {
 	/*
 	 * If this is from /proc/kmsg and we've already opened it, then we've
 	 * already done the capabilities checks at open time.
 	 */
-	if (from_file && type != SYSLOG_ACTION_OPEN)
+	if (source == SYSLOG_FROM_PROC && type != SYSLOG_ACTION_OPEN)
 		goto ok;
 
 	if (syslog_action_restricted(type)) {
@@ -1290,13 +1290,13 @@ static int syslog_print_all(char __user *buf, int size, bool clear)
 	return len;
 }
 
-int do_syslog(int type, char __user *buf, int len, bool from_file)
+int do_syslog(int type, char __user *buf, int len, int source)
 {
 	bool clear = false;
 	static int saved_console_loglevel = LOGLEVEL_DEFAULT;
 	int error;
 
-	error = check_syslog_permissions(type, from_file);
+	error = check_syslog_permissions(type, source);
 	if (error)
 		goto out;
 
@@ -1379,7 +1379,7 @@ int do_syslog(int type, char __user *buf, int len, bool from_file)
 			syslog_prev = 0;
 			syslog_partial = 0;
 		}
-		if (from_file) {
+		if (source == SYSLOG_FROM_PROC) {
 			/*
 			 * Short-cut for poll(/"proc/kmsg") which simply checks
 			 * for pending data, not the size; return the count of