diff --git a/arch/x86/ia32/ia32_aout.c b/arch/x86/ia32/ia32_aout.c
index f5e737ff0022..cb26f18d43af 100644
--- a/arch/x86/ia32/ia32_aout.c
+++ b/arch/x86/ia32/ia32_aout.c
@@ -116,12 +116,12 @@ static struct linux_binfmt aout_format = {
 	.min_coredump	= PAGE_SIZE
 };
 
-static unsigned long set_brk(unsigned long start, unsigned long end)
+static int set_brk(unsigned long start, unsigned long end)
 {
 	start = PAGE_ALIGN(start);
 	end = PAGE_ALIGN(end);
 	if (end <= start)
-		return start;
+		return 0;
 	return vm_brk(start, end - start);
 }
 
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ static int load_aout_binary(struct linux_binprm *bprm)
 
 		error = vm_brk(text_addr & PAGE_MASK, map_size);
 
-		if (error != (text_addr & PAGE_MASK))
+		if (error)
 			return error;
 
 		error = read_code(bprm->file, text_addr, 32,
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ static int load_aout_binary(struct linux_binprm *bprm)
 
 		if (!bprm->file->f_op->mmap || (fd_offset & ~PAGE_MASK) != 0) {
 			error = vm_brk(N_TXTADDR(ex), ex.a_text+ex.a_data);
-			if (IS_ERR_VALUE(error))
+			if (error)
 				return error;
 
 			read_code(bprm->file, N_TXTADDR(ex), fd_offset,
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ static int load_aout_binary(struct linux_binprm *bprm)
 
 beyond_if:
 	error = set_brk(current->mm->start_brk, current->mm->brk);
-	if (IS_ERR_VALUE(error))
+	if (error)
 		return error;
 
 	set_binfmt(&aout_format);
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ static int load_aout_library(struct file *file)
 		}
 #endif
 		retval = vm_brk(start_addr, ex.a_text + ex.a_data + ex.a_bss);
-		if (IS_ERR_VALUE(retval))
+		if (retval)
 			goto out;
 
 		read_code(file, start_addr, N_TXTOFF(ex),
@@ -461,9 +461,8 @@ static int load_aout_library(struct file *file)
 	len = PAGE_ALIGN(ex.a_text + ex.a_data);
 	bss = ex.a_text + ex.a_data + ex.a_bss;
 	if (bss > len) {
-		error = vm_brk(start_addr + len, bss - len);
-		retval = error;
-		if (error != start_addr + len)
+		retval = vm_brk(start_addr + len, bss - len);
+		if (retval)
 			goto out;
 	}
 	retval = 0;
diff --git a/fs/binfmt_aout.c b/fs/binfmt_aout.c
index 2fab9f130e51..64b331ae3428 100644
--- a/fs/binfmt_aout.c
+++ b/fs/binfmt_aout.c
@@ -127,11 +127,8 @@ static int set_brk(unsigned long start, unsigned long end)
 {
 	start = PAGE_ALIGN(start);
 	end = PAGE_ALIGN(end);
-	if (end > start) {
-		unsigned long addr;
-		addr = vm_brk(start, end - start);
-		if (BAD_ADDR(addr))
-			return addr;
+	if (end > start)
+		return vm_brk(start, end - start);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -275,7 +272,7 @@ static int load_aout_binary(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
 		map_size = ex.a_text+ex.a_data;
 #endif
 		error = vm_brk(text_addr & PAGE_MASK, map_size);
-		if (error != (text_addr & PAGE_MASK))
+		if (error)
 			return error;
 
 		error = read_code(bprm->file, text_addr, pos,
@@ -298,7 +295,7 @@ static int load_aout_binary(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
 
 		if (!bprm->file->f_op->mmap||((fd_offset & ~PAGE_MASK) != 0)) {
 			error = vm_brk(N_TXTADDR(ex), ex.a_text+ex.a_data);
-			if (IS_ERR_VALUE(error))
+			if (error)
 				return error;
 
 			read_code(bprm->file, N_TXTADDR(ex), fd_offset,
@@ -382,7 +379,7 @@ static int load_aout_library(struct file *file)
 			       file);
 		}
 		retval = vm_brk(start_addr, ex.a_text + ex.a_data + ex.a_bss);
-		if (IS_ERR_VALUE(retval))
+		if (retval)
 			goto out;
 
 		read_code(file, start_addr, N_TXTOFF(ex),
@@ -402,9 +399,8 @@ static int load_aout_library(struct file *file)
 	len = PAGE_ALIGN(ex.a_text + ex.a_data);
 	bss = ex.a_text + ex.a_data + ex.a_bss;
 	if (bss > len) {
-		error = vm_brk(start_addr + len, bss - len);
-		retval = error;
-		if (error != start_addr + len)
+		retval = vm_brk(start_addr + len, bss - len);
+		if (retval)
 			goto out;
 	}
 	retval = 0;
diff --git a/fs/binfmt_elf.c b/fs/binfmt_elf.c
index 938fc4ede764..e158b22ef32f 100644
--- a/fs/binfmt_elf.c
+++ b/fs/binfmt_elf.c
@@ -96,10 +96,9 @@ static int set_brk(unsigned long start, unsigned long end)
 	start = ELF_PAGEALIGN(start);
 	end = ELF_PAGEALIGN(end);
 	if (end > start) {
-		unsigned long addr;
-		addr = vm_brk(start, end - start);
-		if (BAD_ADDR(addr))
-			return addr;
+		int error = vm_brk(start, end - start);
+		if (error)
+			return error;
 	}
 	current->mm->start_brk = current->mm->brk = end;
 	return 0;
@@ -629,7 +628,7 @@ static unsigned long load_elf_interp(struct elfhdr *interp_elf_ex,
 
 		/* Map the last of the bss segment */
 		error = vm_brk(elf_bss, last_bss - elf_bss);
-		if (BAD_ADDR(error))
+		if (error)
 			goto out;
 	}
 
@@ -1178,7 +1177,7 @@ static int load_elf_library(struct file *file)
 	bss = eppnt->p_memsz + eppnt->p_vaddr;
 	if (bss > len) {
 		error = vm_brk(len, bss - len);
-		if (BAD_ADDR(error))
+		if (error)
 			goto out_free_ph;
 	}
 	error = 0;
diff --git a/include/linux/mm.h b/include/linux/mm.h
index a00ec816233a..5df5feb49575 100644
--- a/include/linux/mm.h
+++ b/include/linux/mm.h
@@ -2018,7 +2018,7 @@ static inline void mm_populate(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len) {}
 #endif
 
 /* These take the mm semaphore themselves */
-extern unsigned long __must_check vm_brk(unsigned long, unsigned long);
+extern int __must_check vm_brk(unsigned long, unsigned long);
 extern int vm_munmap(unsigned long, size_t);
 extern unsigned long __must_check vm_mmap(struct file *, unsigned long,
         unsigned long, unsigned long,
diff --git a/mm/mmap.c b/mm/mmap.c
index d3d9a94ca031..de2c1769cc68 100644
--- a/mm/mmap.c
+++ b/mm/mmap.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ static struct vm_area_struct *remove_vma(struct vm_area_struct *vma)
 	return next;
 }
 
-static unsigned long do_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len);
+static int do_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len);
 
 SYSCALL_DEFINE1(brk, unsigned long, brk)
 {
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE1(brk, unsigned long, brk)
 		goto out;
 
 	/* Ok, looks good - let it rip. */
-	if (do_brk(oldbrk, newbrk-oldbrk) != oldbrk)
+	if (do_brk(oldbrk, newbrk-oldbrk) < 0)
 		goto out;
 
 set_brk:
@@ -2625,7 +2625,7 @@ static inline void verify_mm_writelocked(struct mm_struct *mm)
  *  anonymous maps.  eventually we may be able to do some
  *  brk-specific accounting here.
  */
-static unsigned long do_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
+static int do_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
 {
 	struct mm_struct *mm = current->mm;
 	struct vm_area_struct *vma, *prev;
@@ -2636,7 +2636,7 @@ static unsigned long do_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
 
 	len = PAGE_ALIGN(len);
 	if (!len)
-		return addr;
+		return 0;
 
 	flags = VM_DATA_DEFAULT_FLAGS | VM_ACCOUNT | mm->def_flags;
 
@@ -2703,13 +2703,13 @@ out:
 	if (flags & VM_LOCKED)
 		mm->locked_vm += (len >> PAGE_SHIFT);
 	vma->vm_flags |= VM_SOFTDIRTY;
-	return addr;
+	return 0;
 }
 
-unsigned long vm_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
+int vm_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
 {
 	struct mm_struct *mm = current->mm;
-	unsigned long ret;
+	int ret;
 	bool populate;
 
 	if (down_write_killable(&mm->mmap_sem))
@@ -2718,7 +2718,7 @@ unsigned long vm_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
 	ret = do_brk(addr, len);
 	populate = ((mm->def_flags & VM_LOCKED) != 0);
 	up_write(&mm->mmap_sem);
-	if (populate)
+	if (populate && !ret)
 		mm_populate(addr, len);
 	return ret;
 }
diff --git a/mm/nommu.c b/mm/nommu.c
index c8bd59a03c71..c2e58880207f 100644
--- a/mm/nommu.c
+++ b/mm/nommu.c
@@ -1682,7 +1682,7 @@ void exit_mmap(struct mm_struct *mm)
 	}
 }
 
-unsigned long vm_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
+int vm_brk(unsigned long addr, unsigned long len)
 {
 	return -ENOMEM;
 }