diff --git a/kernel-src/io/net/arp.c b/kernel-src/io/net/arp.c
index fcaa9916..15128b42 100644
--- a/kernel-src/io/net/arp.c
+++ b/kernel-src/io/net/arp.c
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ int arp_lookup(netdev_t *netdev, uint32_t ip, mac_t *mac) {
 		}
 
 		MUTEX_RELEASE(&cachelock);
-		int timedout = EVENT_WAIT(&eventlistener, to);
+		e = EVENT_WAIT(&eventlistener, to);
 		MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&cachelock);
 		time = timekeeper_time();
 
@@ -279,7 +279,10 @@ int arp_lookup(netdev_t *netdev, uint32_t ip, mac_t *mac) {
 			break;
 		}
 
-		if (timedout || time.s > end.s || (end.s == time.s && time.ns >= end.ns)) {
+		if (e == EINTR)
+			return e;
+
+		if (e == ETIMEDOUT || time.s > end.s || (end.s == time.s && time.ns >= end.ns)) {
 			e = ENETUNREACH;
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/kernel-src/io/poll.c b/kernel-src/io/poll.c
index 4d81c54a..3ea9d1ca 100644
--- a/kernel-src/io/poll.c
+++ b/kernel-src/io/poll.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ static void timeout(context_t *, dpcarg_t arg) {
 	spinlock_acquire(&desc->eventlock);
 
 	if (spinlock_try(&desc->lock))
-		sched_wakeup(desc->thread, 1);
+		sched_wakeup(desc->thread, ETIMEDOUT);
 
 	spinlock_release(&desc->eventlock);
 	interrupt_set(intstate);
@@ -115,15 +115,13 @@ int poll_dowait(polldesc_t *desc, size_t ustimeout) {
 		ret = EINTR;
 	}
 
-	if (ustimeout != 0 && ret != 1) {
+	if (ustimeout != 0 && ret != ETIMEDOUT) {
 		timer_remove(current_cpu()->timer, &sleepentry);
 		sched_target_cpu(NULL);
 	}
 
 	interrupt_set(intstate);
 
-	ret = ret == 1 ? 0 : ret;
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel-src/io/tty.c b/kernel-src/io/tty.c
index cdb853da..a13703df 100644
--- a/kernel-src/io/tty.c
+++ b/kernel-src/io/tty.c
@@ -266,17 +266,16 @@ static int read(int minor, iovec_iterator_t *iovec_iterator, size_t size, uintma
 
 		error = poll_dowait(&desc, effectivetimeout);
 
-
-		if (error == 0 && (desc.event == NULL || (desc.event && desc.event->revents == 0))) {
-			// timed out!
-			poll_leave(&desc);
-			poll_destroydesc(&desc);
-			break;
-		}
-
 		poll_leave(&desc);
 		poll_destroydesc(&desc);
 
+		if (error == ETIMEDOUT) {
+			// this does not return an error on timeout.
+			// instead, it just returns the number of bytes read.
+			error = 0;
+			break;
+		}
+
 		if (error)
 			goto leave;
 	}
diff --git a/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/futex.c b/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/futex.c
index 1d0dd495..557654df 100644
--- a/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/futex.c
+++ b/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/futex.c
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <hashtable.h>
 #include <kernel/poll.h>
 #include <kernel/alloc.h>
+#include <arch/cpu.h>
 
 static mutex_t futexmutex;
 static hashtable_t hashtable;
@@ -50,7 +51,14 @@ syscallret_t syscall_futex(context_t *, uint32_t *futexp, int op, uint32_t value
 		MUTEX_INIT(&futexmutex);
 	}
 
-	timespec_t timespec = tm ? *tm : (timespec_t){0};
+	timespec_t timespec = {0};
+	if (tm) {
+		ret.errno = usercopy_fromuser(&timespec, tm, sizeof(timespec_t));
+		if (ret.errno)
+			return ret;
+	}
+	uintmax_t us = timespec.s * 1000000 + timespec.ns / 1000;
+
 	polldesc_t desc = {0};
 	ret.errno = poll_initdesc(&desc, 1);
 	if (unlikely(ret.errno))
@@ -89,6 +97,12 @@ syscallret_t syscall_futex(context_t *, uint32_t *futexp, int op, uint32_t value
 				break;
 			}
 
+			// if timeout is zero, do not sleep
+			if (tm && us == 0) {
+				ret.errno = ETIMEDOUT;
+				break;
+			}
+
 			if (futex == NULL) {
 				futex = alloc(sizeof(futex_t));
 				if (futex == NULL) {
@@ -101,26 +115,21 @@ syscallret_t syscall_futex(context_t *, uint32_t *futexp, int op, uint32_t value
 					break;
 			}
 
-			uintmax_t us = timespec.s * 1000000 + timespec.ns / 1000;
 			++futex->waiting;
-			
+
 			for (;;) {
 				poll_add(&futex->pollheader, &desc.data[0], POLLOUT);
 
 				MUTEX_RELEASE(&futexmutex);
 
 				ret.errno = poll_dowait(&desc, us);
-				int revents = 0;
-				if (desc.event)
-					revents = desc.event->revents;
 
 				MUTEX_ACQUIRE(&futexmutex);
 
-				if (revents == 0 || ret.errno == EINTR) {
+				if (ret.errno) {
 					// timed out or interrupted
 					--futex->waiting;
 					futex->waking = futex->waking > futex->waiting ? futex->waiting : futex->waking; // if it happened during a wakeup, just to make sure nothing bad happens
-					ret.errno = ret.errno == EINTR ? EINTR : 0;
 				} else if (futex->waking == 0) {
 					// should go back to sleep
 					poll_leave(&desc);
diff --git a/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/poll.c b/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/poll.c
index 331fc0b9..faa1d3a3 100644
--- a/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/poll.c
+++ b/kernel-src/sys/syscalls/poll.c
@@ -75,11 +75,15 @@ syscallret_t syscall_poll(context_t *, pollfd_t *fds, size_t nfds, int timeoutms
 	if (eventcount == 0 && timeoutms != 0) {
 		ret.errno = poll_dowait(&desc, (timeoutms == -1 ? 0 : timeoutms) * 1000);
 
-		if (ret.errno == 0 && desc.event) {
+		if (ret.errno == 0) {
 			int fd = ((uintptr_t)desc.event - (uintptr_t)desc.data) / sizeof(polldata_t);
 			fdsbuff[fd].revents = desc.data[fd].revents;
 			eventcount = 1;
 		}
+
+		// timeout is not an error in poll()
+		if (ret.errno == ETIMEDOUT)
+			ret.errno = 0;
 	}
 
 	if (ret.errno == 0)