diff --git a/include/tinycrypt/ecc.h b/include/tinycrypt/ecc.h
index 9a705c495..0d1d9ec98 100644
--- a/include/tinycrypt/ecc.h
+++ b/include/tinycrypt/ecc.h
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ uECC_word_t uECC_vli_sub(uECC_word_t *result, const uECC_word_t *left,
  * @param left IN -- left term in comparison
  * @param right IN -- right term in comparison
  * @param num_words IN -- number of words
- * @return Returns 0 if left == right, 1 otherwise.
+ * @return Returns 0 if left == right, non-zero otherwise.
  */
 uECC_word_t uECC_vli_equal(const uECC_word_t *left, const uECC_word_t *right);
 
diff --git a/tinycrypt/ecc.c b/tinycrypt/ecc.c
index d01c67617..92906fd76 100644
--- a/tinycrypt/ecc.c
+++ b/tinycrypt/ecc.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ uECC_word_t uECC_vli_equal(const uECC_word_t *left, const uECC_word_t *right)
 	for (i = NUM_ECC_WORDS - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
 		diff |= (left[i] ^ right[i]);
 	}
-	return !(diff == 0);
+	return diff;
 }
 
 uECC_word_t cond_set(uECC_word_t p_true, uECC_word_t p_false, unsigned int cond)