diff --git a/libfprint/drivers/uru4000.c b/libfprint/drivers/uru4000.c
index 93b79b0..ad64992 100644
--- a/libfprint/drivers/uru4000.c
+++ b/libfprint/drivers/uru4000.c
@@ -717,7 +717,6 @@ static void rebootpwr_run_state(struct fpi_ssm *ssm)
 {
 	struct fp_img_dev *dev = ssm->priv;
 	struct uru4k_dev *urudev = dev->priv;
-	int r;
 
 	switch (ssm->cur_state) {
 	case REBOOTPWR_SET_HWSTAT:
@@ -734,9 +733,8 @@ static void rebootpwr_run_state(struct fpi_ssm *ssm)
 			fpi_ssm_next_state(ssm);
 		break;
 	case REBOOTPWR_PAUSE:
-		r = fpi_timeout_add(10, rebootpwr_pause_cb, ssm);
-		if (r < 0)
-			fpi_ssm_mark_aborted(ssm, r);
+		if (fpi_timeout_add(10, rebootpwr_pause_cb, ssm) == NULL)
+			fpi_ssm_mark_aborted(ssm, -ETIME);
 		break;
 	}
 }
@@ -827,9 +825,8 @@ static void powerup_run_state(struct fpi_ssm *ssm)
 			fpi_ssm_next_state(ssm);
 		break;
 	case POWERUP_PAUSE:
-		r = fpi_timeout_add(10, powerup_pause_cb, ssm);
-		if (r < 0)
-			fpi_ssm_mark_aborted(ssm, r);
+		if (fpi_timeout_add(10, powerup_pause_cb, ssm) == NULL)
+			fpi_ssm_mark_aborted(ssm, -ETIME);
 		break;
 	case POWERUP_CHALLENGE_RESPONSE:
 		r = do_challenge_response(dev, powerup_challenge_response_cb, ssm);
diff --git a/libfprint/fp_internal.h b/libfprint/fp_internal.h
index 26f679f..c391e37 100644
--- a/libfprint/fp_internal.h
+++ b/libfprint/fp_internal.h
@@ -333,7 +333,10 @@ void fpi_poll_exit(void);
 
 typedef void (*fpi_timeout_fn)(void *data);
 
-int fpi_timeout_add(unsigned int msec, fpi_timeout_fn callback, void *data);
+struct fpi_timeout;
+struct fpi_timeout *fpi_timeout_add(unsigned int msec, fpi_timeout_fn callback,
+	void *data);
+void fpi_timeout_cancel(struct fpi_timeout *timeout);
 
 /* async drv <--> lib comms */
 
diff --git a/libfprint/poll.c b/libfprint/poll.c
index 9bd226d..df76233 100644
--- a/libfprint/poll.c
+++ b/libfprint/poll.c
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ static int timeout_sort_fn(gconstpointer _a, gconstpointer _b)
 /* A timeout is the asynchronous equivalent of sleeping. You create a timeout
  * saying that you'd like to have a function invoked at a certain time in
  * the future. */
-int fpi_timeout_add(unsigned int msec, fpi_timeout_fn callback, void *data)
+struct fpi_timeout *fpi_timeout_add(unsigned int msec, fpi_timeout_fn callback,
+	void *data)
 {
 	struct timespec ts;
 	struct timeval add_msec;
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ int fpi_timeout_add(unsigned int msec, fpi_timeout_fn callback, void *data)
 	r = clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
 	if (r < 0) {
 		fp_err("failed to read monotonic clock, errno=%d", errno);
-		return r;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
 	timeout = g_malloc(sizeof(*timeout));
@@ -118,7 +119,14 @@ int fpi_timeout_add(unsigned int msec, fpi_timeout_fn callback, void *data)
 	active_timers = g_slist_insert_sorted(active_timers, timeout,
 		timeout_sort_fn);
 
-	return 0;
+	return timeout;
+}
+
+void fpi_timeout_cancel(struct fpi_timeout *timeout)
+{
+	fp_dbg("");
+	active_timers = g_slist_remove(active_timers, timeout);
+	g_free(timeout);
 }
 
 /* get the expiry time and optionally the timeout structure for the next