diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 1622aca..eeeb7a3 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ Bugs to fix for 1.1:
 * why does CoreBackendPartitionTable::detectFileSystemBySector() take a Device
   and not a CoreBackendDevice?
 
-* why can't CoreBackendPartitionTable::createPartition() return an int and use 0
-  or -1 as error code and otherwise return the new number?
-
 ===============================================================================
 
 For releases after 1.1:
diff --git a/src/backend/corebackendpartitiontable.h b/src/backend/corebackendpartitiontable.h
index 552537b..5bc6082 100644
--- a/src/backend/corebackendpartitiontable.h
+++ b/src/backend/corebackendpartitiontable.h
@@ -104,11 +104,9 @@ class LIBPARTITIONMANAGERPRIVATE_EXPORT CoreBackendPartitionTable
 		  * Create a new partition.
 		  * @param report the report to write information to
 		  * @param partition the new partition to create on disk
-		  * @param new_number output value holding the new number the OS sees the partition under
-		  *                   (e.g. 7 for "/dev/sda7")
-		  * @return true on success
+		  * @return the new number the OS sees the partition under (e.g. 7 for "/dev/sda7") or -1 on failure
 		  */
-		virtual bool createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition, quint32& new_number) = 0;
+		virtual qint32 createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition) = 0;
 
 		/**
 		  * Update the geometry for a partition in the partition table.
diff --git a/src/jobs/createpartitionjob.cpp b/src/jobs/createpartitionjob.cpp
index e585cf7..7fb620b 100644
--- a/src/jobs/createpartitionjob.cpp
+++ b/src/jobs/createpartitionjob.cpp
@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@ bool CreatePartitionJob::run(Report& parent)
 
 		if (backendPartitionTable)
 		{
-			quint32 num = -1;
-			rval = backendPartitionTable->createPartition(*report, partition(), num);
+			qint32 num = backendPartitionTable->createPartition(*report, partition());
 
-			if (rval)
+			if (num > 0)
 			{
+				rval = true;
 				partition().setNumber(num);
 				partition().setState(Partition::StateNone);
 				backendPartitionTable->commit();
diff --git a/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.cpp b/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.cpp
index 4a67998..b06186a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.cpp
@@ -67,11 +67,10 @@ CoreBackendPartition* DummyPartitionTable::getPartitionBySector(qint64 sector)
 	return new DummyPartition();
 }
 
-bool DummyPartitionTable::createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition, quint32& new_number)
+qint32 DummyPartitionTable::createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition)
 {
 	Q_UNUSED(report);
 	Q_UNUSED(partition);
-	Q_UNUSED(new_number);
 
 	return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.h b/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.h
index 6e08a2b..0205c5a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.h
+++ b/src/plugins/dummy/dummypartitiontable.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class DummyPartitionTable : public CoreBackendPartitionTable
 		virtual CoreBackendPartition* getExtendedPartition();
 		virtual CoreBackendPartition* getPartitionBySector(qint64 sector);
 
-		virtual bool createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition, quint32& new_number);
+		virtual qint32 createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition);
 		virtual bool deletePartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition);
 		virtual bool updateGeometry(Report& report, const Partition& partition, qint64 sector_start, qint64 sector_end);
 		virtual bool clobberFileSystem(Report& report, const Partition& partition);
diff --git a/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.cpp b/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.cpp
index 646365b..f433da9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.cpp
@@ -144,11 +144,11 @@ static PedFileSystemType* getPedFileSystemType(FileSystem::Type t)
 	return ped_file_system_type_get("ext2");
 }
 
-bool LibPartedPartitionTable::createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition, quint32& new_number)
+qint32 LibPartedPartitionTable::createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition)
 {
 	Q_ASSERT(partition.devicePath() == pedDevice()->path);
 
-	bool rval = false;
+	qint32 rval = -1;
 
 	// According to libParted docs, PedPartitionType can be "NULL if unknown". That's obviously wrong,
 	// it's a typedef for an enum. So let's use something the libparted devs will hopefully never
@@ -187,14 +187,11 @@ bool LibPartedPartitionTable::createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& p
 	if (pedConstraint == NULL)
 	{
 		report.line() << i18nc("@info/plain", "Failed to create a new partition: could not get geometry for constraint.");
-		return false;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	if (ped_disk_add_partition(pedDisk(), pedPartition, pedConstraint))
-	{
-		new_number = pedPartition->num;
-		rval = true;
-	}
+		rval = pedPartition->num;
 	else
 		report.line() << i18nc("@info/plain", "Failed to add partition <filename>%1</filename> to device <filename>%2</filename>.", partition.deviceNode(), pedDisk()->dev->path);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.h b/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.h
index e9a229b..9d033d7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.h
+++ b/src/plugins/libparted/libpartedpartitiontable.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class LibPartedPartitionTable : public CoreBackendPartitionTable
 		virtual CoreBackendPartition* getExtendedPartition();
 		virtual CoreBackendPartition* getPartitionBySector(qint64 sector);
 
-		virtual bool createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition, quint32& new_number);
+		virtual qint32 createPartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition);
 		virtual bool deletePartition(Report& report, const Partition& partition);
 		virtual bool updateGeometry(Report& report, const Partition& partition, qint64 sector_start, qint64 sector_end);
 		virtual bool clobberFileSystem(Report& report, const Partition& partition);