diff --git a/src/neutrino.cpp b/src/neutrino.cpp
index 336dfa6ac..911e33a02 100644
--- a/src/neutrino.cpp
+++ b/src/neutrino.cpp
@@ -189,10 +189,9 @@ t_channel_id standby_channel_id = 0;
 
 //NEW
 static pthread_t timer_thread;
-void * timerd_main_thread(void *data);
 static bool timerd_thread_started = false;
-
-void * nhttpd_main_thread(void *data);
+extern void *timerd_main_thread(void *data);
+extern void *nhttpd_main_thread(void *data);
 
 //#define DISABLE_SECTIONSD
 
@@ -3143,8 +3142,9 @@ TIMER_START();
 
 	/* wait until timerd is ready... */
 	int64_t timerd_wait = time_monotonic_ms();
-	while (timerd_signal >= 0)
+	while (timerd_signal >= 0) {
 		usleep(100);
+	}
 	dprintf(DEBUG_NORMAL, "had to wait %" PRId64 " ms for timerd start...\n", time_monotonic_ms() - timerd_wait);
 	InitTimerdClient();
 
diff --git a/src/timerd/timerd.cpp b/src/timerd/timerd.cpp
index 1df5850f1..b0fb9ae30 100644
--- a/src/timerd/timerd.cpp
+++ b/src/timerd/timerd.cpp
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ bool timerd_parse_command(CBasicMessage::Header &rmsg, int connfd)
 				break;
 			}
 
-		case CTimerdMsg::CMD_ADDTIMER:						// neuen timer hinzufügen
+		case CTimerdMsg::CMD_ADDTIMER:						// neuen timer hinzufuegen
 			CTimerdMsg::commandAddTimer msgAddTimer;
 			CBasicServer::receive_data(connfd,&msgAddTimer, sizeof(msgAddTimer));
 
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ bool timerd_parse_command(CBasicMessage::Header &rmsg, int connfd)
 			CTimerManager::getInstance()->stopEvent(msgStopTimer.eventID);
 			break;
 
-		case CTimerdMsg::CMD_TIMERDAVAILABLE:					// testen ob server läuft ;)
+		case CTimerdMsg::CMD_TIMERDAVAILABLE:					// testen ob server laeuft ;)
 			{
 				CTimerdMsg::responseAvailable rspAvailable;
 				rspAvailable.available = true;
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ bool timerd_parse_command(CBasicMessage::Header &rmsg, int connfd)
 	return true;
 }
 
-int timerd_main_thread(void *data)
+void *timerd_main_thread(void *data)
 {
 	pthread_setcanceltype (PTHREAD_CANCEL_ASYNCHRONOUS, 0);
 	set_threadname("n:timerd");
@@ -491,7 +491,8 @@ int timerd_main_thread(void *data)
 
 	if (!timerd_server.prepare(TIMERD_UDS_NAME)) {
 		*(long *)data = -2; /* signal neutrino that waiting is pointless */
-		return -1;
+		fprintf(stderr, "Error: Failed to prepare timerd server with UDS name: %s\n", TIMERD_UDS_NAME);
+		return (void*)EXIT_FAILURE;   // return as a `void*`-pointer
 	}
 
 	// Start timer thread
@@ -502,5 +503,5 @@ int timerd_main_thread(void *data)
 
 	timerd_server.run(timerd_parse_command, CTimerdMsg::ACTVERSION);
 	printf("timerd shutdown complete\n");
-	return 0;
+	return NULL;
 }