diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index 4b69c855f..d5580b4b0 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -881,9 +881,9 @@ int spawn_and_wait(char **argv) FAST_FUNC;
 struct nofork_save_area {
 	jmp_buf die_jmp;
 	const char *applet_name;
-	int xfunc_error_retval;
 	uint32_t option_mask32;
 	int die_sleep;
+	uint8_t xfunc_error_retval;
 	smallint saved;
 };
 void save_nofork_data(struct nofork_save_area *save) FAST_FUNC;
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ enum {
 extern const char *msg_eol;
 extern smallint logmode;
 extern int die_sleep;
-extern int xfunc_error_retval;
+extern uint8_t xfunc_error_retval;
 extern jmp_buf die_jmp;
 extern void xfunc_die(void) NORETURN FAST_FUNC;
 extern void bb_show_usage(void) NORETURN FAST_FUNC;
diff --git a/libbb/default_error_retval.c b/libbb/default_error_retval.c
index 4da5b3efb..4f6395fa2 100644
--- a/libbb/default_error_retval.c
+++ b/libbb/default_error_retval.c
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@
 
 #include "libbb.h"
 
-int xfunc_error_retval = EXIT_FAILURE;
+uint8_t xfunc_error_retval = EXIT_FAILURE;