diff --git a/arch/arc/include/asm/arcregs.h b/arch/arc/include/asm/arcregs.h
index 7f3f9f63708cf..1bd24ec3e3502 100644
--- a/arch/arc/include/asm/arcregs.h
+++ b/arch/arc/include/asm/arcregs.h
@@ -43,12 +43,14 @@
 #define STATUS_AE_BIT		5	/* Exception active */
 #define STATUS_DE_BIT		6	/* PC is in delay slot */
 #define STATUS_U_BIT		7	/* User/Kernel mode */
+#define STATUS_Z_BIT            11
 #define STATUS_L_BIT		12	/* Loop inhibit */
 
 /* These masks correspond to the status word(STATUS_32) bits */
 #define STATUS_AE_MASK		(1<<STATUS_AE_BIT)
 #define STATUS_DE_MASK		(1<<STATUS_DE_BIT)
 #define STATUS_U_MASK		(1<<STATUS_U_BIT)
+#define STATUS_Z_MASK		(1<<STATUS_Z_BIT)
 #define STATUS_L_MASK		(1<<STATUS_L_BIT)
 
 /*
diff --git a/arch/arc/kernel/process.c b/arch/arc/kernel/process.c
index 59aa43cb146e7..a41a79a4f4fea 100644
--- a/arch/arc/kernel/process.c
+++ b/arch/arc/kernel/process.c
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE0(arc_gettls)
 
 SYSCALL_DEFINE3(arc_usr_cmpxchg, int *, uaddr, int, expected, int, new)
 {
-	int uval;
-	int ret;
+	struct pt_regs *regs = current_pt_regs();
+	int uval = -EFAULT;
 
 	/*
 	 * This is only for old cores lacking LLOCK/SCOND, which by defintion
@@ -54,24 +54,26 @@ SYSCALL_DEFINE3(arc_usr_cmpxchg, int *, uaddr, int, expected, int, new)
 	 */
 	WARN_ON_ONCE(IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_SMP));
 
+	/* Z indicates to userspace if operation succeded */
+	regs->status32 &= ~STATUS_Z_MASK;
+
 	if (!access_ok(VERIFY_WRITE, uaddr, sizeof(int)))
 		return -EFAULT;
 
 	preempt_disable();
 
-	ret = __get_user(uval, uaddr);
-	if (ret)
+	if (__get_user(uval, uaddr))
 		goto done;
 
-	if (uval != expected)
-		ret = -EAGAIN;
-	else
-		ret = __put_user(new, uaddr);
+	if (uval == expected) {
+		if (!__put_user(new, uaddr))
+			regs->status32 |= STATUS_Z_MASK;
+	}
 
 done:
 	preempt_enable();
 
-	return ret;
+	return uval;
 }
 
 void arch_cpu_idle(void)