diff --git a/drivers/rtc/rtc-cmos.c b/drivers/rtc/rtc-cmos.c
index c0dc03ffa817..40936c3ff397 100644
--- a/drivers/rtc/rtc-cmos.c
+++ b/drivers/rtc/rtc-cmos.c
@@ -597,11 +597,10 @@ static int cmos_nvram_read(void *priv, unsigned int off, void *val,
 			   size_t count)
 {
 	unsigned char *buf = val;
-	int	retval;
 
 	off += NVRAM_OFFSET;
 	spin_lock_irq(&rtc_lock);
-	for (retval = 0; count; count--, off++, retval++) {
+	for (; count; count--, off++) {
 		if (off < 128)
 			*buf++ = CMOS_READ(off);
 		else if (can_bank2)
@@ -611,7 +610,7 @@ static int cmos_nvram_read(void *priv, unsigned int off, void *val,
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irq(&rtc_lock);
 
-	return retval;
+	return count ? -EIO : 0;
 }
 
 static int cmos_nvram_write(void *priv, unsigned int off, void *val,
@@ -619,7 +618,6 @@ static int cmos_nvram_write(void *priv, unsigned int off, void *val,
 {
 	struct cmos_rtc	*cmos = priv;
 	unsigned char	*buf = val;
-	int		retval;
 
 	/* NOTE:  on at least PCs and Ataris, the boot firmware uses a
 	 * checksum on part of the NVRAM data.  That's currently ignored
@@ -628,7 +626,7 @@ static int cmos_nvram_write(void *priv, unsigned int off, void *val,
 	 */
 	off += NVRAM_OFFSET;
 	spin_lock_irq(&rtc_lock);
-	for (retval = 0; count; count--, off++, retval++) {
+	for (; count; count--, off++) {
 		/* don't trash RTC registers */
 		if (off == cmos->day_alrm
 				|| off == cmos->mon_alrm
@@ -643,7 +641,7 @@ static int cmos_nvram_write(void *priv, unsigned int off, void *val,
 	}
 	spin_unlock_irq(&rtc_lock);
 
-	return retval;
+	return count ? -EIO : 0;
 }
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------*/