diff --git a/src/libCom/pool/epicsThreadPool.h b/src/libCom/pool/epicsThreadPool.h
index e41dd3653..2bb176dec 100644
--- a/src/libCom/pool/epicsThreadPool.h
+++ b/src/libCom/pool/epicsThreadPool.h
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ epicsShareFunc void epicsThreadPoolControl(epicsThreadPool* pool,
 /* Block until job queue is emptied and no jobs are running.
  * Useful after calling epicsThreadPoolControl() with option epicsThreadPoolQueueAdd=0
  *
- * timeout<0 waits forever, timeout==0 polls, timeout>0 waits for a fixed time
- * Returns 1 for timeout, 0 for success, >1 on errors
+ * timeout<0 waits forever, timeout==0 polls, timeout>0 waits at most one timeout period
+ * Returns 0 for success or non-zero on error (timeout is ETIMEOUT)
  */
 epicsShareFunc int epicsThreadPoolWait(epicsThreadPool* pool, double timeout);
 
diff --git a/src/libCom/pool/threadPool.c b/src/libCom/pool/threadPool.c
index ccdc7f2b1..1cfc0e88b 100644
--- a/src/libCom/pool/threadPool.c
+++ b/src/libCom/pool/threadPool.c
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ int epicsThreadPoolWait(epicsThreadPool* pool, double timeout)
                 cantProceed("epicsThreadPoolWait: failed to wait for Event");
                 break;
             case epicsEventWaitTimeout:
-                ret=EWOULDBLOCK;
+                ret=ETIMEDOUT;
                 break;
             case epicsEventWaitOK:
                 ret=0;