diff --git a/block/cloop.c b/block/cloop.c
index 9a2334495e..40b146e714 100644
--- a/block/cloop.c
+++ b/block/cloop.c
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ static inline int cloop_read_block(BlockDriverState *bs, int block_num)
 
         ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, s->offsets[block_num], bytes,
                          s->compressed_block, 0);
-        if (ret != bytes) {
+        if (ret < 0) {
             return -1;
         }
 
diff --git a/block/crypto.c b/block/crypto.c
index deec7fae2f..e7f5c4e31a 100644
--- a/block/crypto.c
+++ b/block/crypto.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ static ssize_t block_crypto_read_func(QCryptoBlock *block,
         error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Could not read encryption header");
         return ret;
     }
-    return ret;
+    return buflen;
 }
 
 static ssize_t block_crypto_write_func(QCryptoBlock *block,
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static ssize_t block_crypto_write_func(QCryptoBlock *block,
         error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Could not write encryption header");
         return ret;
     }
-    return ret;
+    return buflen;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/block/dmg.c b/block/dmg.c
index 5a460c3eb1..98db18d82a 100644
--- a/block/dmg.c
+++ b/block/dmg.c
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ static int dmg_read_plist_xml(BlockDriverState *bs, DmgHeaderState *ds,
     buffer = g_malloc(info_length + 1);
     buffer[info_length] = '\0';
     ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, info_begin, info_length, buffer, 0);
-    if (ret != info_length) {
+    if (ret < 0) {
         ret = -EINVAL;
         goto fail;
     }
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ static inline int dmg_read_chunk(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t sector_num)
              * inflated. */
             ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, s->offsets[chunk], s->lengths[chunk],
                              s->compressed_chunk, 0);
-            if (ret != s->lengths[chunk]) {
+            if (ret < 0) {
                 return -1;
             }
 
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ static inline int dmg_read_chunk(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t sector_num)
              * inflated. */
             ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, s->offsets[chunk], s->lengths[chunk],
                              s->compressed_chunk, 0);
-            if (ret != s->lengths[chunk]) {
+            if (ret < 0) {
                 return -1;
             }
 
@@ -658,7 +658,7 @@ static inline int dmg_read_chunk(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t sector_num)
              * inflated. */
             ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, s->offsets[chunk], s->lengths[chunk],
                              s->compressed_chunk, 0);
-            if (ret != s->lengths[chunk]) {
+            if (ret < 0) {
                 return -1;
             }
 
@@ -674,7 +674,7 @@ static inline int dmg_read_chunk(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t sector_num)
         case UDRW: /* copy */
             ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, s->offsets[chunk], s->lengths[chunk],
                              s->uncompressed_chunk, 0);
-            if (ret != s->lengths[chunk]) {
+            if (ret < 0) {
                 return -1;
             }
             break;
diff --git a/block/io.c b/block/io.c
index 2ed963d9e0..78a289192e 100644
--- a/block/io.c
+++ b/block/io.c
@@ -1115,7 +1115,6 @@ int bdrv_make_zero(BdrvChild *child, BdrvRequestFlags flags)
 int bdrv_pread(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, int64_t bytes, void *buf,
                BdrvRequestFlags flags)
 {
-    int ret;
     QEMUIOVector qiov = QEMU_IOVEC_INIT_BUF(qiov, buf, bytes);
     IO_CODE();
 
@@ -1123,9 +1122,7 @@ int bdrv_pread(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, int64_t bytes, void *buf,
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
-    ret = bdrv_preadv(child, offset, bytes, &qiov, flags);
-
-    return ret < 0 ? ret : bytes;
+    return bdrv_preadv(child, offset, bytes, &qiov, flags);
 }
 
 /* Return no. of bytes on success or < 0 on error. Important errors are:
@@ -1137,7 +1134,6 @@ int bdrv_pread(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, int64_t bytes, void *buf,
 int bdrv_pwrite(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, int64_t bytes,
                 const void *buf, BdrvRequestFlags flags)
 {
-    int ret;
     QEMUIOVector qiov = QEMU_IOVEC_INIT_BUF(qiov, buf, bytes);
     IO_CODE();
 
@@ -1145,9 +1141,7 @@ int bdrv_pwrite(BdrvChild *child, int64_t offset, int64_t bytes,
         return -EINVAL;
     }
 
-    ret = bdrv_pwritev(child, offset, bytes, &qiov, flags);
-
-    return ret < 0 ? ret : bytes;
+    return bdrv_pwritev(child, offset, bytes, &qiov, flags);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/block/qcow.c b/block/qcow.c
index c94524b814..c646d6b16d 100644
--- a/block/qcow.c
+++ b/block/qcow.c
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ static int decompress_cluster(BlockDriverState *bs, uint64_t cluster_offset)
         csize &= (s->cluster_size - 1);
         BLKDBG_EVENT(bs->file, BLKDBG_READ_COMPRESSED);
         ret = bdrv_pread(bs->file, coffset, csize, s->cluster_data, 0);
-        if (ret != csize)
+        if (ret < 0)
             return -1;
         if (decompress_buffer(s->cluster_cache, s->cluster_size,
                               s->cluster_data, csize) < 0) {
diff --git a/block/qcow2.c b/block/qcow2.c
index 5493e6b847..d5a1e8bc43 100644
--- a/block/qcow2.c
+++ b/block/qcow2.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ static ssize_t qcow2_crypto_hdr_read_func(QCryptoBlock *block, size_t offset,
         error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Could not read encryption header");
         return -1;
     }
-    return ret;
+    return buflen;
 }
 
 
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ static ssize_t qcow2_crypto_hdr_write_func(QCryptoBlock *block, size_t offset,
         error_setg_errno(errp, -ret, "Could not read encryption header");
         return -1;
     }
-    return ret;
+    return buflen;
 }
 
 static QDict*
diff --git a/block/qed.c b/block/qed.c
index ba93e99570..55da91eb72 100644
--- a/block/qed.c
+++ b/block/qed.c
@@ -87,14 +87,9 @@ static void qed_header_cpu_to_le(const QEDHeader *cpu, QEDHeader *le)
 int qed_write_header_sync(BDRVQEDState *s)
 {
     QEDHeader le;
-    int ret;
 
     qed_header_cpu_to_le(&s->header, &le);
-    ret = bdrv_pwrite(s->bs->file, 0, sizeof(le), &le, 0);
-    if (ret != sizeof(le)) {
-        return ret;
-    }
-    return 0;
+    return bdrv_pwrite(s->bs->file, 0, sizeof(le), &le, 0);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/block/vhdx-log.c b/block/vhdx-log.c
index 572582b87b..33a7786631 100644
--- a/block/vhdx-log.c
+++ b/block/vhdx-log.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ static int vhdx_log_peek_hdr(BlockDriverState *bs, VHDXLogEntries *log,
     if (ret < 0) {
         goto exit;
     }
+    ret = sizeof(VHDXLogEntryHeader);
     vhdx_log_entry_hdr_le_import(hdr);
 
 exit:
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ static int vhdx_log_read_sectors(BlockDriverState *bs, VHDXLogEntries *log,
         if (ret < 0) {
             goto exit;
         }
+        ret = VHDX_LOG_SECTOR_SIZE;
         read = vhdx_log_inc_idx(read, log->length);
 
         *sectors_read = *sectors_read + 1;
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@ static int vhdx_log_write_sectors(BlockDriverState *bs, VHDXLogEntries *log,
         if (ret < 0) {
             goto exit;
         }
+        ret = VHDX_LOG_SECTOR_SIZE;
         buffer_tmp += VHDX_LOG_SECTOR_SIZE;
 
         log->write = write;
diff --git a/block/vmdk.c b/block/vmdk.c
index aacea1095f..332565c80f 100644
--- a/block/vmdk.c
+++ b/block/vmdk.c
@@ -473,7 +473,6 @@ static int vmdk_parent_open(BlockDriverState *bs)
     if (ret < 0) {
         goto out;
     }
-    ret = 0;
 
     p_name = strstr(desc, "parentFileNameHint");
     if (p_name != NULL) {
@@ -905,7 +904,7 @@ static char *vmdk_read_desc(BdrvChild *file, uint64_t desc_offset, Error **errp)
         g_free(buf);
         return NULL;
     }
-    buf[ret] = 0;
+    buf[size] = 0;
 
     return buf;
 }
@@ -1630,7 +1629,7 @@ static int get_cluster_offset(BlockDriverState *bs,
                 l2_size_bytes,
                 l2_table,
                 0
-            ) != l2_size_bytes) {
+            ) < 0) {
         return VMDK_ERROR;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c b/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c
index 49fb1ef1ea..a5c163af7e 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test-block-iothread.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ static void test_sync_op_pread(BdrvChild *c)
 
     /* Success */
     ret = bdrv_pread(c, 0, sizeof(buf), buf, 0);
-    g_assert_cmpint(ret, ==, 512);
+    g_assert_cmpint(ret, ==, 0);
 
     /* Early error: Negative offset */
     ret = bdrv_pread(c, -2, sizeof(buf), buf, 0);
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ static void test_sync_op_pwrite(BdrvChild *c)
 
     /* Success */
     ret = bdrv_pwrite(c, 0, sizeof(buf), buf, 0);
-    g_assert_cmpint(ret, ==, 512);
+    g_assert_cmpint(ret, ==, 0);
 
     /* Early error: Negative offset */
     ret = bdrv_pwrite(c, -2, sizeof(buf), buf, 0);
