diff --git a/daemon/media_socket.c b/daemon/media_socket.c
index bf319f5e9..d3bfecc8c 100644
--- a/daemon/media_socket.c
+++ b/daemon/media_socket.c
@@ -3271,7 +3271,7 @@ stream_fd *stream_fd_new(socket_t *fd, call_t *call, struct local_intf *lif) {
 
 	if (sfd->socket.fd != -1) {
 		struct poller *p = call->poller;
-		if (poller_add_item(p, &pi))
+		if (!poller_add_item(p, &pi))
 			ilog(LOG_ERR, "Failed to add stream_fd to poller");
 		else
 			sfd->poller = p;
diff --git a/daemon/tcp_listener.c b/daemon/tcp_listener.c
index 7f4eab8e7..bc17535f6 100644
--- a/daemon/tcp_listener.c
+++ b/daemon/tcp_listener.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static int tcp_listener_init(socket_t *sock, const endpoint_t *ep,
 	i.closed = tcp_listener_closed;
 	i.readable = tcp_listener_incoming;
 	i.obj = &cb->obj;
-	if (poller_add_item(rtpe_control_poller, &i))
+	if (!poller_add_item(rtpe_control_poller, &i))
 		goto fail;
 
 	obj_put(cb);
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ static void streambuf_listener_newconn(struct obj *p, socket_t *newsock, char *a
 	t_hash_table_insert(listener->streams, s, s); // hand over ref
 	mutex_unlock(&listener->lock);
 
-	if (poller_add_item(rtpe_control_poller, &i))
+	if (!poller_add_item(rtpe_control_poller, &i))
 		goto fail;
 
 	obj_put(s);
diff --git a/daemon/udp_listener.c b/daemon/udp_listener.c
index 632566b86..1934b60b9 100644
--- a/daemon/udp_listener.c
+++ b/daemon/udp_listener.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ int udp_listener_init(socket_t *sock, const endpoint_t *ep,
 	i.closed = udp_listener_closed;
 	i.readable = udp_listener_incoming;
 	i.obj = &cb->obj;
-	if (poller_add_item(rtpe_control_poller, &i))
+	if (!poller_add_item(rtpe_control_poller, &i))
 		goto fail;
 
 	obj_put(cb);
diff --git a/lib/poller.c b/lib/poller.c
index 05eb156c3..fc4e03ab5 100644
--- a/lib/poller.c
+++ b/lib/poller.c
@@ -88,33 +88,33 @@ static void poller_item_free(void *p) {
 }
 
 
-int poller_add_item(struct poller *p, struct poller_item *i) {
+bool poller_add_item(struct poller *p, struct poller_item *i) {
 	struct poller_item_int *ip;
 	struct epoll_event e;
 
 	if (!p)
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 	if (!i)
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 	if (i->fd < 0)
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 	if (!i->readable && !i->writeable)
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 	if (!i->closed)
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 
 	{
 
 	LOCK(&p->lock);
 
 	if (i->fd < p->items->len && p->items->pdata[i->fd])
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 
 	ZERO(e);
 	e.events = epoll_events(i, NULL);
 	e.data.fd = i->fd;
 	if (epoll_ctl(p->fd, EPOLL_CTL_ADD, i->fd, &e))
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 
 	if (i->fd >= p->items->len)
 		g_ptr_array_set_size(p->items, i->fd + 1);
@@ -128,29 +128,29 @@ int poller_add_item(struct poller *p, struct poller_item *i) {
 
 	obj_put(ip);
 
-	return 0;
+	return true;
 }
 
 
-int poller_del_item(struct poller *p, int fd) {
+bool poller_del_item(struct poller *p, int fd) {
 	struct poller_item_int *it;
 
 	if (!p || fd < 0)
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 
 	{
 
 	LOCK(&p->lock);
 
 	if (!p->items) // can happen during shutdown/free only
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 	if (fd >= p->items->len)
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 	if (!(it = p->items->pdata[fd]))
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 
 	if (epoll_ctl(p->fd, EPOLL_CTL_DEL, fd, NULL))
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 
 	p->items->pdata[fd] = NULL; /* stealing the ref */
 
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ int poller_del_item(struct poller *p, int fd) {
 
 	obj_put(it);
 
-	return 0;
+	return true;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/poller.h b/lib/poller.h
index 98eec1c01..f79663123 100644
--- a/lib/poller.h
+++ b/lib/poller.h
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <glib.h>
-
+#include <stdbool.h>
 
 
 struct obj;
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ struct poller;
 
 struct poller *poller_new(void);
 void poller_free(struct poller **);
-int poller_add_item(struct poller *, struct poller_item *);
-int poller_del_item(struct poller *, int);
+bool poller_add_item(struct poller *, struct poller_item *);
+bool poller_del_item(struct poller *, int);
 
 void poller_blocked(struct poller *, void *);
 int poller_isblocked(struct poller *, void *);
diff --git a/perf-tester/main.c b/perf-tester/main.c
index 876371179..350e49024 100644
--- a/perf-tester/main.c
+++ b/perf-tester/main.c
@@ -541,8 +541,8 @@ static void new_stream_params(
 		.closed = closed,
 	};
 
-	res = poller_add_item(rtpe_poller, &pi);
-	assert(res == 0);
+	bool ok = poller_add_item(rtpe_poller, &pi);
+	assert(ok == true);
 
 	LOCK(&streams_lock);
 	g_ptr_array_add(streams, s);