diff --git a/include/nfc/nfc.h b/include/nfc/nfc.h
index cb58418..b471a38 100644
--- a/include/nfc/nfc.h
+++ b/include/nfc/nfc.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ extern  "C" {
   NFC_EXPORT int nfc_initiator_transceive_bytes (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTx, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRx, int timeout);
   NFC_EXPORT int nfc_initiator_transceive_bits (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits, const uint8_t *pbtTxPar, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRxBits, uint8_t *pbtRxPar);
   NFC_EXPORT int nfc_initiator_transceive_bytes_timed (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTx, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRx, uint32_t *cycles);
-  NFC_EXPORT bool nfc_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits, const uint8_t *pbtTxPar, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRxBits, uint8_t *pbtRxPar, uint32_t *cycles);
+  NFC_EXPORT int nfc_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits, const uint8_t *pbtTxPar, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRxBits, uint8_t *pbtRxPar, uint32_t *cycles);
 
 /* NFC target: act as tag (i.e. MIFARE Classic) or NFC target device. */
   NFC_EXPORT int nfc_target_init (nfc_device *pnd, nfc_target *pnt, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRx);
diff --git a/libnfc/chips/pn53x.c b/libnfc/chips/pn53x.c
index fc42e28..e232824 100644
--- a/libnfc/chips/pn53x.c
+++ b/libnfc/chips/pn53x.c
@@ -1310,7 +1310,7 @@ uint32_t __pn53x_get_timer(struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t last_cmd_byte)
   return u32cycles;
 }
 
-bool
+int
 pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits,
                                        const uint8_t *pbtTxPar, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRxBits, uint8_t *pbtRxPar, uint32_t *cycles)
 {
@@ -1319,21 +1319,22 @@ pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pb
   (void) pbtRxPar;
   uint16_t i;
   uint8_t sz;
+  int res = 0;
 
   // Sorry, no arbitrary parity bits support for now
   if (!pnd->bPar) {
     pnd->last_error = NFC_ENOTIMPL;
-    return false;
+    return pnd->last_error;
   }
   // Sorry, no easy framing support
   if (pnd->bEasyFraming) {
     pnd->last_error = NFC_ENOTIMPL;
-    return false;
+    return pnd->last_error;
   }
   // TODO CRC support but it probably doesn't make sense for (szTxBits % 8 != 0) ...
   if (pnd->bCrc) {
     pnd->last_error = NFC_ENOTIMPL;
-    return false;
+    return pnd->last_error;
   }
 
   __pn53x_init_timer(pnd, *cycles);
@@ -1361,8 +1362,8 @@ pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pb
   BUFFER_APPEND (abtWriteRegisterCmd, PN53X_REG_CIU_BitFraming & 0xff);
   BUFFER_APPEND (abtWriteRegisterCmd, SYMBOL_START_SEND | ((szTxBits % 8) & SYMBOL_TX_LAST_BITS));
   // Let's send the previously constructed WriteRegister command
-  if (pn53x_transceive (pnd, abtWriteRegisterCmd, BUFFER_SIZE (abtWriteRegisterCmd), NULL, NULL, -1) < 0) {
-    return false;
+  if ((res = pn53x_transceive (pnd, abtWriteRegisterCmd, BUFFER_SIZE (abtWriteRegisterCmd), NULL, NULL, -1)) < 0) {
+    return res;
   }
 
   // Recv data
@@ -1393,8 +1394,8 @@ pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pb
     uint8_t abtRes[PN53x_EXTENDED_FRAME__DATA_MAX_LEN];
     size_t szRes = sizeof(abtRes);
     // Let's send the previously constructed ReadRegister command
-    if (pn53x_transceive (pnd, abtReadRegisterCmd, BUFFER_SIZE (abtReadRegisterCmd), abtRes, &szRes, -1) < 0) {
-      return false;
+    if ((res = pn53x_transceive (pnd, abtReadRegisterCmd, BUFFER_SIZE (abtReadRegisterCmd), abtRes, &szRes, -1)) < 0) {
+      return res;
     }
     for (i = 0; i < sz; i++) {
       pbtRx[i+*pszRxBits] = abtRes[i+off];
@@ -1409,7 +1410,7 @@ pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pb
   // Recv corrected timer value
   *cycles = __pn53x_get_timer (pnd, pbtTx[szTxBits / 8]);
 
-  return true;
+  return *pszRxBits;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/libnfc/chips/pn53x.h b/libnfc/chips/pn53x.h
index 18e7108..be02599 100644
--- a/libnfc/chips/pn53x.h
+++ b/libnfc/chips/pn53x.h
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ int    pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *p
                                          uint8_t *pbtRxPar);
 int     pn53x_initiator_transceive_bytes (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTx,
                                           uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRx, int timeout);
-bool    pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits,
+int    pn53x_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits,
                                          const uint8_t *pbtTxPar, uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRxBits,
                                          uint8_t *pbtRxPar, uint32_t *cycles);
 int    pn53x_initiator_transceive_bytes_timed (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTx,
diff --git a/libnfc/nfc-internal.h b/libnfc/nfc-internal.h
index 0946fb0..0afbf2a 100644
--- a/libnfc/nfc-internal.h
+++ b/libnfc/nfc-internal.h
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ struct nfc_driver_t {
   int (*initiator_transceive_bytes) (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t * pbtTx, const size_t szTx, uint8_t * pbtRx, size_t * pszRx, int timeout);
   int (*initiator_transceive_bits) (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t * pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits, const uint8_t * pbtTxPar, uint8_t * pbtRx, size_t * pszRxBits, uint8_t * pbtRxPar);
   int (*initiator_transceive_bytes_timed) (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t * pbtTx, const size_t szTx, uint8_t * pbtRx, size_t * pszRx, uint32_t * cycles);
-  bool (*initiator_transceive_bits_timed) (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t * pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits, const uint8_t * pbtTxPar, uint8_t * pbtRx, size_t * pszRxBits, uint8_t * pbtRxPar, uint32_t * cycles);
+  int (*initiator_transceive_bits_timed) (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t * pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits, const uint8_t * pbtTxPar, uint8_t * pbtRx, size_t * pszRxBits, uint8_t * pbtRxPar, uint32_t * cycles);
 
   int (*target_init) (struct nfc_device *pnd, nfc_target * pnt, uint8_t * pbtRx, size_t * pszRx);
   int (*target_send_bytes) (struct nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t * pbtTx, const size_t szTx, int timeout);
diff --git a/libnfc/nfc.c b/libnfc/nfc.c
index 8d60e95..ee22f7a 100644
--- a/libnfc/nfc.c
+++ b/libnfc/nfc.c
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ nfc_initiator_transceive_bytes_timed (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, con
 
 /**
  * @brief Transceive raw bit-frames to a target
- * @return Returns \c true if action was successfully performed; otherwise returns \c false.
+ * @return Returns received bits count on success, otherwise returns libnfc's error code
  *
  * This function is similar to nfc_initiator_transceive_bits() with the following differences:
  * - A precise cycles counter will indicate the number of cycles between emission & reception of frames.
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ nfc_initiator_transceive_bytes_timed (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, con
  * @warning The configuration option \a NP_HANDLE_CRC must be set to \c false.
  * @warning The configuration option \a NP_HANDLE_PARITY must be set to \c true (the default value).
  */
-bool
+int
 nfc_initiator_transceive_bits_timed (nfc_device *pnd, const uint8_t *pbtTx, const size_t szTxBits, const uint8_t *pbtTxPar,
                                uint8_t *pbtRx, size_t *pszRxBits, uint8_t *pbtRxPar, uint32_t *cycles)
 {