diff --git a/src/shared/util.c b/src/shared/util.c
index 6b5b07463c2..b1a9db1d466 100644
--- a/src/shared/util.c
+++ b/src/shared/util.c
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ char *truncate_nl(char *s) {
         return s;
 }
 
-char get_process_state(pid_t pid) {
+int get_process_state(pid_t pid) {
         const char *p;
         char state;
         int r;
diff --git a/src/shared/util.h b/src/shared/util.h
index 8dede1f7ff1..fcb45b5f5c5 100644
--- a/src/shared/util.h
+++ b/src/shared/util.h
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ char *file_in_same_dir(const char *path, const char *filename);
 
 int rmdir_parents(const char *path, const char *stop);
 
-char get_process_state(pid_t pid);
+int get_process_state(pid_t pid);
 int get_process_comm(pid_t pid, char **name);
 int get_process_cmdline(pid_t pid, size_t max_length, bool comm_fallback, char **line);
 int get_process_exe(pid_t pid, char **name);