diff --git a/arch/avr32/cpu/interrupts.c b/arch/avr32/cpu/interrupts.c
index 6681e13b93..49a00f1c8c 100644
--- a/arch/avr32/cpu/interrupts.c
+++ b/arch/avr32/cpu/interrupts.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static int set_interrupt_handler(unsigned int nr, void (*handler)(void),
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void timer_init(void)
+int timer_init(void)
 {
 	extern void timer_interrupt_handler(void);
 	u64 tmp;
@@ -120,8 +120,9 @@ void timer_init(void)
 	tb_factor = (u32)tmp;
 
 	if (set_interrupt_handler(0, &timer_interrupt_handler, 3))
-		return;
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	/* For all practical purposes, this gives us an overflow interrupt */
 	sysreg_write(COMPARE, 0xffffffff);
+	return 0;
 }