diff --git a/src/sleep/sleep.c b/src/sleep/sleep.c
index 4b49d6aaef..cab3442185 100644
--- a/src/sleep/sleep.c
+++ b/src/sleep/sleep.c
@@ -190,10 +190,13 @@ static int execute(char **modes, char **states) {
 
 static int read_wakealarm(uint64_t *result) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *t = NULL;
+        int r;
 
-        if (read_one_line_file("/sys/class/rtc/rtc0/since_epoch", &t) >= 0)
-                return safe_atou64(t, result);
-        return -EBADF;
+        r = read_one_line_file("/sys/class/rtc/rtc0/since_epoch", &t);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        return safe_atou64(t, result);
 }
 
 static int write_wakealarm(const char *str) {