diff --git a/sys/posix/select/posix_select.c b/sys/posix/select/posix_select.c
index 87c11e3cd941..2bf3ed8535e8 100644
--- a/sys/posix/select/posix_select.c
+++ b/sys/posix/select/posix_select.c
@@ -117,13 +117,13 @@ int select(int nfds, fd_set *readfds, fd_set *writefds, fd_set *errorfds,
     while (wait) {
         if (_set_timeout(&timeout_timer, timeout,
                          xtimer_now_usec() - start_time, &wait) < 0) {
-            fds_set = -1;
-            goto end;
+            /* timeout setting failed so not set, so no need to go to end */
+            return -1;
         }
         if (!wait) {
             /* timeout was reached, timeout was not set, so no need to
              * go to end */
-            errno = -EINTR;
+            errno = EINTR;
             return -1;
         }
         thread_flags_t tflags = thread_flags_wait_any(POSIX_SELECT_THREAD_FLAG |
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ int select(int nfds, fd_set *readfds, fd_set *writefds, fd_set *errorfds,
             }
         }
         else if (tflags & THREAD_FLAG_TIMEOUT) {
-            errno = -EINTR;
+            errno = EINTR;
             /* timeout fired, so no need to go to end */
             return -1;
         }