diff --git a/common/fdt_support.c b/common/fdt_support.c
index 46aa842..698abf7 100644
--- a/common/fdt_support.c
+++ b/common/fdt_support.c
@@ -1241,15 +1241,22 @@ int fdt_set_phandle(void *fdt, int nodeoffset, uint32_t phandle)
  * @fdt: ptr to device tree
  * @nodeoffset: node to update
  */
-int fdt_create_phandle(void *fdt, int nodeoffset)
+unsigned int fdt_create_phandle(void *fdt, int nodeoffset)
 {
 	/* see if there is a phandle already */
 	int phandle = fdt_get_phandle(fdt, nodeoffset);
 
 	/* if we got 0, means no phandle so create one */
 	if (phandle == 0) {
+		int ret;
+
 		phandle = fdt_alloc_phandle(fdt);
-		fdt_set_phandle(fdt, nodeoffset, phandle);
+		ret = fdt_set_phandle(fdt, nodeoffset, phandle);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			printf("Can't set phandle %u: %s\n", phandle,
+			       fdt_strerror(ret));
+			return 0;
+		}
 	}
 
 	return phandle;
diff --git a/include/fdt_support.h b/include/fdt_support.h
index 0091dc3..4826eee 100644
--- a/include/fdt_support.h
+++ b/include/fdt_support.h
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ int fdt_node_offset_by_compat_reg(void *blob, const char *compat,
 					phys_addr_t compat_off);
 int fdt_alloc_phandle(void *blob);
 int fdt_set_phandle(void *fdt, int nodeoffset, uint32_t phandle);
-int fdt_create_phandle(void *fdt, int nodeoffset);
+unsigned int fdt_create_phandle(void *fdt, int nodeoffset);
 int fdt_add_edid(void *blob, const char *compat, unsigned char *buf);
 
 int fdt_verify_alias_address(void *fdt, int anode, const char *alias,