diff --git a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
index 598891e53031..4f84466498f7 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
@@ -383,9 +383,9 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(__tty_insert_flip_char);
  * Returns: the length available and buffer pointer (@chars) to the space which
  * is now allocated and accounted for as ready for normal characters.
  */
-int tty_prepare_flip_string(struct tty_port *port, u8 **chars, size_t size)
+size_t tty_prepare_flip_string(struct tty_port *port, u8 **chars, size_t size)
 {
-	int space = __tty_buffer_request_room(port, size, false);
+	size_t space = __tty_buffer_request_room(port, size, false);
 
 	if (likely(space)) {
 		struct tty_buffer *tb = port->buf.tail;
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ int tty_prepare_flip_string(struct tty_port *port, u8 **chars, size_t size)
 			memset(flag_buf_ptr(tb, tb->used), TTY_NORMAL, space);
 		tb->used += space;
 	}
+
 	return space;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(tty_prepare_flip_string);
diff --git a/include/linux/tty_flip.h b/include/linux/tty_flip.h
index 569747364ae5..efd03d9c11f8 100644
--- a/include/linux/tty_flip.h
+++ b/include/linux/tty_flip.h
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ int tty_buffer_request_room(struct tty_port *port, size_t size);
 size_t __tty_insert_flip_string_flags(struct tty_port *port, const u8 *chars,
 				      const u8 *flags, bool mutable_flags,
 				      size_t size);
-int tty_prepare_flip_string(struct tty_port *port, u8 **chars, size_t size);
+size_t tty_prepare_flip_string(struct tty_port *port, u8 **chars, size_t size);
 void tty_flip_buffer_push(struct tty_port *port);
 int __tty_insert_flip_char(struct tty_port *port, u8 ch, u8 flag);