diff --git a/src/core/settings.c b/src/core/settings.c
index 42029fdc..258fc1c7 100644
--- a/src/core/settings.c
+++ b/src/core/settings.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ find_or_build_config_setting ( const char *name,
  * @v name		Configuration setting name
  * @v buf		Buffer to contain value
  * @v len		Length of buffer
- * @ret rc		Return status code
+ * @ret len		Length of formatted value, or negative error
  */
 int show_named_setting ( struct config_context *context, const char *name,
 			 char *buf, size_t len ) {
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ int set_setting ( struct config_context *context,
  * @v setting		Configuration setting
  * @v buf		Buffer to contain value
  * @v len		Length of buffer
- * @ret rc		Return status code
+ * @ret len		Length of formatted value, or negative error
  */
 static int show_string ( struct config_context *context,
 			 struct config_setting *setting,
@@ -190,8 +190,7 @@ static int show_string ( struct config_context *context,
 	option = find_dhcp_option ( context->options, setting->tag );
 	if ( ! option )
 		return -ENODATA;
-	dhcp_snprintf ( buf, len, option );
-	return 0;
+	return dhcp_snprintf ( buf, len, option );
 }
 
 /**
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@ struct config_setting_type config_setting_type_string __config_setting_type = {
  * @v setting		Configuration setting
  * @v buf		Buffer to contain value
  * @v len		Length of buffer
- * @ret rc		Return status code
+ * @ret len		Length of formatted value, or negative error
  */
 static int show_ipv4 ( struct config_context *context,
 		       struct config_setting *setting,
@@ -241,8 +240,7 @@ static int show_ipv4 ( struct config_context *context,
 	if ( ! option )
 		return -ENODATA;
 	dhcp_ipv4_option ( option, &ipv4 );
-	snprintf ( buf, len, inet_ntoa ( ipv4 ) );
-	return 0;
+	return snprintf ( buf, len, inet_ntoa ( ipv4 ) );
 }
 
 /**
@@ -283,7 +281,7 @@ struct config_setting_type config_setting_type_ipv4 __config_setting_type = {
  * @v setting		Configuration setting
  * @v buf		Buffer to contain value
  * @v len		Length of buffer
- * @ret rc		Return status code
+ * @ret len		Length of formatted value, or negative error
  */
 static int show_int ( struct config_context *context,
 		      struct config_setting *setting,
@@ -295,8 +293,7 @@ static int show_int ( struct config_context *context,
 	if ( ! option )
 		return -ENODATA;
 	num = dhcp_num_option ( option );
-	snprintf ( buf, len, "%ld", num );
-	return 0;
+	return snprintf ( buf, len, "%ld", num );
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/hci/commands/nvo_cmd.c b/src/hci/commands/nvo_cmd.c
index 4392787b..4c453c77 100644
--- a/src/hci/commands/nvo_cmd.c
+++ b/src/hci/commands/nvo_cmd.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ static int show_exec ( int argc, char **argv ) {
 
 	dummy_context.options = ugly_nvo_hack->options;
 	if ( ( rc = show_named_setting ( &dummy_context, argv[1], buf,
-					 sizeof ( buf ) ) ) != 0 ) {
+					 sizeof ( buf ) ) ) < 0 ) {
 		printf ( "Could not find \"%s\": %s\n",
 			 argv[1], strerror ( -rc ) );
 		return 1;
diff --git a/src/hci/tui/settings_ui.c b/src/hci/tui/settings_ui.c
index 336af4e9..c6261c77 100644
--- a/src/hci/tui/settings_ui.c
+++ b/src/hci/tui/settings_ui.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ static void load_setting ( struct setting_widget *widget ) {
 
 	/* Read current setting value */
 	if ( show_setting ( widget->context, widget->setting,
-			    widget->value, sizeof ( widget->value ) ) != 0 ) {
+			    widget->value, sizeof ( widget->value ) ) < 0 ) {
 		widget->value[0] = '\0';
 	}	
 
diff --git a/src/include/gpxe/settings.h b/src/include/gpxe/settings.h
index f30bbfbc..1b9c059b 100644
--- a/src/include/gpxe/settings.h
+++ b/src/include/gpxe/settings.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ struct config_setting_type {
 	 * @v setting		Configuration setting
 	 * @v buf		Buffer to contain value
 	 * @v len		Length of buffer
-	 * @ret rc		Return status code
+	 * @ret len		Length of formatted value, or negative error
 	 */
 	int ( * show ) ( struct config_context *context,
 			 struct config_setting *setting,
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ struct config_setting {
  * @v setting		Configuration setting
  * @v buf		Buffer to contain value
  * @v len		Length of buffer
- * @ret rc		Return status code
+ * @ret len		Length of formatted value, or negative error
  */
 static inline int show_setting ( struct config_context *context,
 				 struct config_setting *setting,