diff --git a/headers/os/kernel/OS.h b/headers/os/kernel/OS.h
index 48543940c4..b520be78c0 100644
--- a/headers/os/kernel/OS.h
+++ b/headers/os/kernel/OS.h
@@ -320,8 +320,9 @@ find_thread(const char *name) {
 extern thread_id 	find_thread(const char *name);
 #endif
 
-extern status_t		send_data(thread_id thread, int32 code, const void *buffer, size_t buffer_size);
-extern status_t		receive_data(thread_id *sender, void *buffer, size_t buffer_size);
+extern status_t		send_data(thread_id thread, int32 code, const void *buffer,
+						size_t bufferSize);
+extern int32		receive_data(thread_id *sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize);
 extern bool			has_data(thread_id thread);
 
 extern status_t		snooze(bigtime_t amount);
@@ -330,7 +331,8 @@ extern status_t		snooze_until(bigtime_t time, int timeBase);
 
 /* system private, use macros instead */
 extern status_t		_get_thread_info(thread_id id, thread_info *info, size_t size);
-extern status_t		_get_next_thread_info(team_id team, int32 *cookie, thread_info *info, size_t size);
+extern status_t		_get_next_thread_info(team_id team, int32 *cookie,
+						thread_info *info, size_t size);
 
 #define get_thread_info(id, info) \
 			_get_thread_info((id), (info), sizeof(*(info)))
diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h b/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h
index d48fb04661..f2de354b01 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ extern void			_kern_exit_thread(status_t returnValue);
 extern status_t		_kern_wait_for_thread(thread_id thread, status_t *_returnCode);
 extern bool			_kern_has_data(thread_id thread);
 extern status_t		_kern_send_data(thread_id thread, int32 code, const void *buffer, size_t bufferSize);
-extern status_t		_kern_receive_data(thread_id *_sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize);
+extern int32		_kern_receive_data(thread_id *_sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize);
 extern int64		_kern_restore_signal_frame();
 
 extern status_t		_kern_get_thread_info(thread_id id, thread_info *info);
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/thread.c b/src/system/kernel/thread.c
index cfaee85d64..b28940cfe3 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/thread.c
+++ b/src/system/kernel/thread.c
@@ -1418,7 +1418,7 @@ send_data(thread_id thread, int32 code, const void *buffer, size_t bufferSize)
 }
 
 
-static status_t
+static int32
 receive_data_etc(thread_id *_sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize, int32 flags)
 {
 	struct thread *thread = thread_get_current_thread();
@@ -1427,8 +1427,13 @@ receive_data_etc(thread_id *_sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize, int32 flag
 	int32 code;
 
 	status = acquire_sem_etc(thread->msg.read_sem, 1, flags, 0);
-	if (status < B_OK)
+	if (status < B_OK) {
+		// Actually, we're not supposed to return error codes
+		// but since the only reason this can fail is that we
+		// were killed, it's probably okay to do so (but also
+		// meaningless).
 		return status;
+	}
 
 	if (buffer != NULL && bufferSize != 0) {
 		size = min(bufferSize, thread->msg.size);
@@ -1450,7 +1455,7 @@ receive_data_etc(thread_id *_sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize, int32 flag
 }
 
 
-status_t
+int32
 receive_data(thread_id *sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize)
 {
 	return receive_data_etc(sender, buffer, bufferSize, 0);
@@ -2015,7 +2020,7 @@ _user_send_data(thread_id thread, int32 code, const void *buffer, size_t bufferS
 	if (!IS_USER_ADDRESS(buffer))
 		return B_BAD_ADDRESS;
 
-	return send_data_etc(thread, code, buffer, bufferSize, B_CAN_INTERRUPT);
+	return send_data_etc(thread, code, buffer, bufferSize, B_KILL_CAN_INTERRUPT);
 		// supports userland buffers
 }
 
@@ -2030,7 +2035,7 @@ _user_receive_data(thread_id *_userSender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize)
 		|| !IS_USER_ADDRESS(buffer))
 		return B_BAD_ADDRESS;
 
-	code = receive_data_etc(&sender, buffer, bufferSize, B_CAN_INTERRUPT);
+	code = receive_data_etc(&sender, buffer, bufferSize, B_KILL_CAN_INTERRUPT);
 		// supports userland buffers
 
 	if (user_memcpy(_userSender, &sender, sizeof(thread_id)) < B_OK)
diff --git a/src/system/libroot/os/thread.c b/src/system/libroot/os/thread.c
index 3fc8076710..91dbc14ae8 100644
--- a/src/system/libroot/os/thread.c
+++ b/src/system/libroot/os/thread.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2004, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de. All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright 2002-2005, Axel Dörfler, axeld@pinc-software.de. All rights reserved.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ send_data(thread_id thread, int32 code, const void *buffer, size_t bufferSize)
 }
 
 
-status_t
+int32
 receive_data(thread_id *_sender, void *buffer, size_t bufferSize)
 {
 	return _kern_receive_data(_sender, buffer, bufferSize);