diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_nand.c b/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_nand.c
index ee767d3..25f0e79 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_nand.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_nand.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 		return fd;
 	}
 
-	ret = erase(fd, ~0, 0);
+	ret = erase(fd, ERASE_SIZE_ALL, 0);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		pr_err("could not erase %s: %s\n", devfile,
 			errno_str());
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_spi_mlo.c b/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_spi_mlo.c
index 702bb9a..69a73ff 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_spi_mlo.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-omap/am33xx_bbu_spi_mlo.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	ret = erase(dstfd, ~0, 0);
+	ret = erase(dstfd, ERASE_SIZE_ALL, 0);
 	if (ret < 0) {
 		printf("could not erase %s: %s", data->devicefile, errno_str());
 		goto out1;
diff --git a/commands/flash.c b/commands/flash.c
index 99d3cb7..d881b4d 100644
--- a/commands/flash.c
+++ b/commands/flash.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 	int fd;
 	char *filename = NULL;
 	struct stat s;
-	loff_t start = 0, size = ~0;
+	loff_t start = 0, size;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (argc == 1)
diff --git a/common/environment.c b/common/environment.c
index 9cf44a0..be102db 100644
--- a/common/environment.c
+++ b/common/environment.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@
 }
 
 #else
+#define ERASE_SIZE_ALL 0
 static inline int protect(int fd, size_t count, unsigned long offset, int prot)
 {
 	return 0;
@@ -329,7 +330,7 @@
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	ret = erase(envfd, ~0, 0);
+	ret = erase(envfd, ERASE_SIZE_ALL, 0);
 
 	/* ENOSYS and EOPNOTSUPP aren't errors here, many devices don't need it */
 	if (ret && errno != ENOSYS && errno != EOPNOTSUPP) {
diff --git a/drivers/usb/gadget/dfu.c b/drivers/usb/gadget/dfu.c
index 351b584..d7bf92c 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/gadget/dfu.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/gadget/dfu.c
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@
 				ret = -EINVAL;
 				goto err_out;
 			}
-			ret = erase(fd, ~0, 0);
+			ret = erase(fd, ERASE_SIZE_ALL, 0);
 			close(fd);
 			if (ret && ret != -ENOSYS) {
 				perror("erase");
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@
 				goto out;
 			}
 
-			ret = erase(dfufd, ~0, 0);
+			ret = erase(dfufd, ERASE_SIZE_ALL, 0);
 			if (ret && ret != -ENOSYS) {
 				dfu->dfu_status = DFU_STATUS_errERASE;
 				perror("erase");
diff --git a/drivers/usb/gadget/f_fastboot.c b/drivers/usb/gadget/f_fastboot.c
index 0df08c9..aaf7849 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/gadget/f_fastboot.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/gadget/f_fastboot.c
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@
 	if (fd < 0)
 		fastboot_tx_print(f_fb, "FAIL%s", strerror(-fd));
 
-	ret = erase(fd, ~0, 0);
+	ret = erase(fd, ERASE_SIZE_ALL, 0);
 
 	close(fd);
 
diff --git a/fs/fs.c b/fs/fs.c
index 440adae..966abe9 100644
--- a/fs/fs.c
+++ b/fs/fs.c
@@ -935,8 +935,10 @@
 	f = &files[fd];
 	if (offset >= f->size)
 		return 0;
-	if (count > f->size - offset)
+	if (count == ERASE_SIZE_ALL || count > f->size - offset)
 		count = f->size - offset;
+	if (count < 0)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	fsdrv = f->fsdev->driver;
 	if (fsdrv->erase)
diff --git a/include/fs.h b/include/fs.h
index b9d1e6e..943ba55 100644
--- a/include/fs.h
+++ b/include/fs.h
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
 int umount_by_cdev(struct cdev *cdev);
 
 /* not-so-standard functions */
+#define ERASE_SIZE_ALL	((loff_t) - 1)
 int erase(int fd, loff_t count, loff_t offset);
 int protect(int fd, size_t count, loff_t offset, int prot);
 int protect_file(const char *file, int prot);