diff --git a/api/mraa/spi.h b/api/mraa/spi.h
index 6902a6ed7..d53ec3ad2 100644
--- a/api/mraa/spi.h
+++ b/api/mraa/spi.h
@@ -111,13 +111,13 @@ mraa_result_t mraa_spi_frequency(mraa_spi_context dev, int hz);
 int mraa_spi_write(mraa_spi_context dev, uint8_t data);
 
 /**
- *Write Two Bytes to the SPI device.
+ * Write Two Bytes to the SPI device.
  *
  * @param dev The Spi context
  * @param data Data to send
  * @return Data received on the miso line
  */
-uint16_t mraa_spi_write_word(mraa_spi_context dev, uint16_t data);
+int mraa_spi_write_word(mraa_spi_context dev, uint16_t data);
 
 /**
  * Write Buffer of bytes to the SPI device. The pointer return has to be
diff --git a/api/mraa/spi.hpp b/api/mraa/spi.hpp
index e5ffb0903..80eaaaf9e 100644
--- a/api/mraa/spi.hpp
+++ b/api/mraa/spi.hpp
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ class Spi
      * Write single byte to the SPI device
      *
      * @param data the byte to send
-     * @return data received on the miso line
+     * @return data received on the miso line or -1 in case of error
      */
-    uint16_t
+    int
     write_word(uint16_t data)
     {
         return mraa_spi_write_word(m_spi, (uint16_t) data);
diff --git a/src/spi/spi.c b/src/spi/spi.c
index cb2c6be6e..570c20765 100644
--- a/src/spi/spi.c
+++ b/src/spi/spi.c
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ mraa_spi_write(mraa_spi_context dev, uint8_t data)
     return (int) recv;
 }
 
-uint16_t
+int
 mraa_spi_write_word(mraa_spi_context dev, uint16_t data)
 {
     struct spi_ioc_transfer msg;
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ mraa_spi_write_word(mraa_spi_context dev, uint16_t data)
         syslog(LOG_ERR, "spi: Failed to perform dev transfer");
         return -1;
     }
-    return recv;
+    return (int) recv;
 }
 
 mraa_result_t