diff --git a/redox-rt/src/thread.rs b/redox-rt/src/thread.rs
index 19b3efc66a69533fc4ca035662bda1ef51d6a613..0a36951176f031d8cf06455bcc624f295d5f00f3 100644
--- a/redox-rt/src/thread.rs
+++ b/redox-rt/src/thread.rs
@@ -52,6 +52,6 @@ pub fn exit_this_thread() -> ! {
     let thread_fd = RtTcb::current().thread_fd();
     // TODO: modify interface so it writes directly to the thread fd?
     let status_fd = syscall::dup(**thread_fd, b"status").unwrap();
-    syscall::write(status_fd, &0_usize.to_ne_bytes()).unwrap();
+    syscall::write(status_fd, &usize::MAX.to_ne_bytes()).unwrap();
     unreachable!()
 }