diff --git a/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h b/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h
index 7bd4725f9..3896b57ec 100644
--- a/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h
+++ b/include/haproxy/cfgparse.h
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ int too_many_args(int maxarg, char **args, char **msg, int *err_code);
 int alertif_too_many_args_idx(int maxarg, int index, const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int *err_code);
 int alertif_too_many_args(int maxarg, const char *file, int linenum, char **args, int *err_code);
 int parse_process_number(const char *arg, unsigned long *proc, int max, int *autoinc, char **err);
-unsigned long parse_cpu_set(const char **args, struct hap_cpuset *cpu_set, char **err);
+int parse_cpu_set(const char **args, struct hap_cpuset *cpu_set, char **err);
 void free_email_alert(struct proxy *p);
 const char *cfg_find_best_match(const char *word, const struct list *list, int section, const char **extra);
 int warnifnotcap(struct proxy *proxy, int cap, const char *file, int line, const char *arg, const char *hint);
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.c b/src/cfgparse.c
index bfcaba883..661f5d980 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.c
+++ b/src/cfgparse.c
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ int parse_process_number(const char *arg, unsigned long *proc, int max, int *aut
  * distinct argument in <args>. On success, it returns 0, otherwise it returns
  * 1 with an error message in <err>.
  */
-unsigned long parse_cpu_set(const char **args, struct hap_cpuset *cpu_set, char **err)
+int parse_cpu_set(const char **args, struct hap_cpuset *cpu_set, char **err)
 {
 	int cur_arg = 0;
 	const char *arg;
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ unsigned long parse_cpu_set(const char **args, struct hap_cpuset *cpu_set, char
 
 		if (!isdigit((unsigned char)*args[cur_arg])) {
 			memprintf(err, "'%s' is not a CPU range.", arg);
-			return -1;
+			return 1;
 		}
 
 		low = high = str2uic(arg);
@@ -2645,7 +2645,7 @@ static int numa_detect_topology()
 
 	parse_cpu_set_args[0] = trash.area;
 	parse_cpu_set_args[1] = "\0";
-	if (parse_cpu_set(parse_cpu_set_args, &active_cpus, &err)) {
+	if (parse_cpu_set(parse_cpu_set_args, &active_cpus, &err) != 0) {
 		ha_notice("Cannot read online CPUs list: '%s'. Will not try to refine binding\n", err);
 		free(err);
 		goto free_scandir_entries;