diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/sync/channel_sync_syncpt.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/sync/channel_sync_syncpt.c
index 93fa547f0..d015d631b 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/sync/channel_sync_syncpt.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/common/sync/channel_sync_syncpt.c
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ static void channel_sync_syncpt_set_safe_state(struct nvgpu_channel_sync *s)
 	nvgpu_nvhost_syncpt_set_safe_state(sp->nvhost_dev, sp->id);
 }
 
-static int channel_sync_syncpt_get_id(struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *sp)
+static u32 channel_sync_syncpt_get_id(struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *sp)
 {
 	return sp->id;
 }
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ static void channel_sync_syncpt_destroy(struct nvgpu_channel_sync *s)
 	nvgpu_kfree(sp->c->g, sp);
 }
 
-int nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *s)
+u32 nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *s)
 {
 	return channel_sync_syncpt_get_id(s);
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c
index 761e7b91f..44c0d4b42 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fence_gk20a.c
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ void gk20a_init_fence(struct gk20a_fence *f,
 		return;
 	}
 	f->ops = ops;
-	f->syncpt_id = -1;
+	f->syncpt_id = FIFO_INVAL_SYNCPT_ID;
 	f->semaphore = NULL;
 	f->os_fence = os_fence;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
index e9607cf74..be12c5935 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gk20a/fifo_gk20a.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ struct tsg_gk20a;
 #define FIFO_INVAL_CHANNEL_ID		(~U32(0U))
 #define FIFO_INVAL_TSG_ID		(~U32(0U))
 #define FIFO_INVAL_RUNLIST_ID		(~U32(0U))
+#define FIFO_INVAL_SYNCPT_ID		(~U32(0U))
 
 #define ID_TYPE_CHANNEL			0U
 #define ID_TYPE_TSG			1U
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gp10b/fifo_gp10b.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gp10b/fifo_gp10b.c
index b6a75207b..b2edbd8b5 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gp10b/fifo_gp10b.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/gp10b/fifo_gp10b.c
@@ -157,9 +157,10 @@ int gp10b_fifo_resetup_ramfc(struct channel_gk20a *c)
 	if (c->sync != NULL) {
 		sync_syncpt = nvgpu_channel_sync_to_syncpt(c->sync);
 		if (sync_syncpt != NULL) {
-			new_syncpt = nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(sync_syncpt);
+			new_syncpt =
+			    nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(sync_syncpt);
 		} else {
-			new_syncpt = -EINVAL;
+			new_syncpt = FIFO_INVAL_SYNCPT_ID;
 		}
 	}
 	if ((new_syncpt != 0U) && (new_syncpt != old_syncpt)) {
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel_sync_syncpt.h b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel_sync_syncpt.h
index 1c2715a45..eaa7fb6f3 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel_sync_syncpt.h
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/include/nvgpu/channel_sync_syncpt.h
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  *
  * Nvgpu Channel Synchronization Abstraction (Syncpoints)
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2018, NVIDIA CORPORATION.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2018-2019, NVIDIA CORPORATION.  All rights reserved.
  *
  * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
  * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt;
 /*
  * Returns the sync point id or negative number if no syncpt
  */
-int nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *s);
+u32 nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *s);
 
 /*
  * Returns the sync point address of sync point or 0 if not supported
@@ -69,10 +69,10 @@ nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt_create(struct channel_gk20a *c,
 
 #else
 
-static inline int nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(
+static inline u32 nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_id(
 	struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *s)
 {
-	return -EINVAL;
+	return FIFO_INVAL_SYNCPT_ID;
 }
 static inline u64 nvgpu_channel_sync_get_syncpt_address(
 	struct nvgpu_channel_sync_syncpt *s)
diff --git a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_ctrl.c b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_ctrl.c
index 60841b9a5..09e9e3496 100644
--- a/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_ctrl.c
+++ b/drivers/gpu/nvgpu/os/linux/ioctl_ctrl.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2011-2018, NVIDIA Corporation.  All rights reserved.
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2019, NVIDIA Corporation.  All rights reserved.
  *
  * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
  * under the terms and conditions of the GNU General Public License,
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ static int gk20a_ctrl_prepare_compressible_read(
 				args->fence.syncpt_value =
 						fence_out->syncpt_value;
 			} else {
-				args->fence.syncpt_id = -1;
+				args->fence.syncpt_id = FIFO_INVAL_SYNCPT_ID;
 				args->fence.syncpt_value = 0;
 			}
 		}