diff --git a/src/channel.c b/src/channel.c
index 105f197e..8e307829 100644
--- a/src/channel.c
+++ b/src/channel.c
@@ -1738,7 +1738,7 @@ static ssize_t channel_read(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel, int stream_id,
         rc = _libssh2_transport_read(session);
 
     if ((rc < 0) && (rc != PACKET_EAGAIN))
-        return -1;
+        return rc;
 
     /*
      * =============================== NOTE ===============================
@@ -1950,6 +1950,8 @@ _libssh2_channel_packet_data_len(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL * channel, int stream_id)
  * Send data to a channel. Note that if this returns EAGAIN or simply didn't
  * send the entire packet, the caller must call this function again with the
  * SAME input arguments.
+ *
+ * If it returns a negative number, that is the error code!
  */
 ssize_t
 _libssh2_channel_write(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel, int stream_id,
@@ -1970,7 +1972,7 @@ _libssh2_channel_write(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel, int stream_id,
         if (channel->local.close) {
             libssh2_error(session, LIBSSH2_ERROR_CHANNEL_CLOSED,
                           "We've already closed this channel", 0);
-            return -1;
+            return LIBSSH2_ERROR_CHANNEL_CLOSED;
         }
 
         if (channel->local.eof) {
@@ -1988,7 +1990,7 @@ _libssh2_channel_write(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel, int stream_id,
             libssh2_error(session, LIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC,
                           "Unable to allocte space for data transmission packet",
                           0);
-            return -1;
+            return LIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC;
         }
 
         channel->write_state = libssh2_NB_state_allocated;
@@ -2074,7 +2076,7 @@ _libssh2_channel_write(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel, int stream_id,
                 LIBSSH2_FREE(session, channel->write_packet);
                 channel->write_packet = NULL;
                 channel->write_state = libssh2_NB_state_idle;
-                return -1;
+                return LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_SEND;
             }
             /* Shrink local window size */
             channel->local.window_size -= channel->write_bufwrite;
@@ -2134,7 +2136,7 @@ static int channel_send_eof(LIBSSH2_CHANNEL *channel)
     else if (rc) {
         libssh2_error(session, LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_SEND,
                       "Unable to send EOF on channel", 0);
-        return -1;
+        return LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_SEND;
     }
     channel->local.eof = 1;
 
diff --git a/src/sftp.c b/src/sftp.c
index ba6c3d92..52378403 100644
--- a/src/sftp.c
+++ b/src/sftp.c
@@ -1403,7 +1403,8 @@ libssh2_sftp_readdir_ex(LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE *hnd, char *buffer,
 /*
  * sftp_write
  *
- * Write data to an SFTP handle
+ * Write data to an SFTP handle. Returns the number of bytes written, or
+ * a negative error code.
  */
 static ssize_t sftp_write(LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE *handle, const char *buffer,
                           size_t count)
@@ -1434,7 +1435,7 @@ static ssize_t sftp_write(LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE *handle, const char *buffer,
         if (!sftp->write_packet) {
             libssh2_error(session, LIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC,
                           "Unable to allocate memory for FXP_WRITE", 0);
-            return -1;
+            return LIBSSH2_ERROR_ALLOC;
         }
         _libssh2_htonu32(s, packet_len - 4);
         s += 4;
@@ -1467,9 +1468,8 @@ static ssize_t sftp_write(LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE *handle, const char *buffer,
             return rc;
         }
         else if(0 == rc) {
-            /* an actual error */
-            fprintf(stderr, "WEIRDNESS\n");
-            return -1;
+            /* nothing sent is an error */
+            return LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_SEND;
         }
         else if (packet_len != rc) {
             return rc;
@@ -1483,11 +1483,12 @@ static ssize_t sftp_write(LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE *handle, const char *buffer,
                              sftp->write_request_id, &data, &data_len);
     if (rc == PACKET_EAGAIN) {
         return PACKET_EAGAIN;
-    } else if (rc) {
+    }
+    else if (rc) {
         libssh2_error(session, LIBSSH2_ERROR_SOCKET_TIMEOUT,
                       "Timeout waiting for status message", 0);
         sftp->write_state = libssh2_NB_state_idle;
-        return -1;
+        return rc;
     }
 
     sftp->write_state = libssh2_NB_state_idle;
@@ -1503,7 +1504,7 @@ static ssize_t sftp_write(LIBSSH2_SFTP_HANDLE *handle, const char *buffer,
                   0);
     sftp->last_errno = retcode;
 
-    return -1;
+    return LIBSSH2_ERROR_SFTP_PROTOCOL;
 }
 
 /* libssh2_sftp_write