diff --git a/libnfc/buses/usbbus.c b/libnfc/buses/usbbus.c
index ad77db2..e894340 100644
--- a/libnfc/buses/usbbus.c
+++ b/libnfc/buses/usbbus.c
@@ -617,33 +617,12 @@ int usbbus_set_configuration(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int configuration)
 int usbbus_get_string_simple(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int index, char *buf, size_t buflen)
 {
   return libusb_get_string_descriptor_ascii((libusb_device_handle *)dev, index & 0xff,
-                                         (unsigned char *) buf, (int) buflen);
+                                            (unsigned char *) buf, (int) buflen);
 }
 
-static int usbbus_bulk_io(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int ep, unsigned char *bytes,
-                          int size, int timeout)
+int usbbus_bulk_transfer(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int ep, char *bytes, int size, int *actual_length, int timeout)
 {
-  int actual_length;
-  int r;
-  r = libusb_bulk_transfer((libusb_device_handle *)dev, ep & 0xff, bytes, size,
-                           &actual_length, timeout);
-
-  /* if we timed out but did transfer some data, report as successful short
-   * read. FIXME: is this how libusb-0.1 works? */
-  if (r == 0 || (r == LIBUSB_ERROR_TIMEOUT && actual_length > 0))
-    return actual_length;
-
-  return r;
-}
-
-int usbbus_bulk_read(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int ep, char *bytes, int size, int timeout)
-{
-  return usbbus_bulk_io(dev, ep, (unsigned char *) bytes, size, timeout);
-}
-
-int usbbus_bulk_write(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int ep, const char *bytes, int size, int timeout)
-{
-  return usbbus_bulk_io(dev, ep, (unsigned char *)bytes, size, timeout);
+  return libusb_bulk_transfer((libusb_device_handle *)dev, ep & 0xff, (unsigned char *)bytes, size, actual_length, timeout);
 }
 
 int usbbus_claim_interface(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int interface)
@@ -666,7 +645,7 @@ int usbbus_reset(usbbus_device_handle *dev)
   return libusb_reset_device((libusb_device_handle *)dev);
 }
 
-const char * usbbus_strerror(int errcode)
+const char *usbbus_strerror(int errcode)
 {
   return libusb_strerror((enum libusb_error)errcode);
 }
diff --git a/libnfc/buses/usbbus.h b/libnfc/buses/usbbus.h
index 8a642e3..abf71fc 100644
--- a/libnfc/buses/usbbus.h
+++ b/libnfc/buses/usbbus.h
@@ -163,13 +163,12 @@ usbbus_device_handle *usbbus_open(struct usbbus_device *dev);
 void usbbus_close(usbbus_device_handle *dev);
 int usbbus_set_configuration(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int configuration);
 int usbbus_get_string_simple(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int index, char *buf, size_t buflen);
-int usbbus_bulk_read(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int ep, char *bytes, int size, int timeout);
-int usbbus_bulk_write(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int ep, const char *bytes, int size, int timeout);
+int usbbus_bulk_transfer(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int ep, char *bytes, int size, int *actual_length, int timeout);
 int usbbus_claim_interface(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int interface);
 int usbbus_release_interface(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int interface);
 int usbbus_set_interface_alt_setting(usbbus_device_handle *dev, int interface, int alternate);
 int usbbus_reset(usbbus_device_handle *dev);
-const char * usbbus_strerror(int errcode);
+const char *usbbus_strerror(int errcode);
 struct usbbus_bus *usbbus_get_busses(void);
 
 #endif // __NFC_BUS_USB_H__
diff --git a/libnfc/drivers/acr122_usb.c b/libnfc/drivers/acr122_usb.c
index a2472e9..2abf4b7 100644
--- a/libnfc/drivers/acr122_usb.c
+++ b/libnfc/drivers/acr122_usb.c
@@ -217,10 +217,12 @@ static int acr122_usb_send_apdu(nfc_device *pnd,
 static int
 acr122_usb_bulk_read(struct acr122_usb_data *data, uint8_t abtRx[], const size_t szRx, const int timeout)
 {
-  int res = usbbus_bulk_read(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointIn, (char *) abtRx, szRx, timeout);
-  if (res > 0) {
-    LOG_HEX(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, "RX", abtRx, res);
-  } else if (res < 0) {
+  int actual_length;
+  int res = usbbus_bulk_transfer(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointIn, (char *) abtRx, szRx, &actual_length, timeout);
+  if (res == 0) {
+    LOG_HEX(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, "RX", abtRx, actual_length);
+    res = actual_length;
+  } else {
     if (res != USBBUS_ERROR_TIMEOUT) {
       res = NFC_EIO;
       log_put(LOG_GROUP, LOG_CATEGORY, NFC_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR, "Unable to read from USB (%s)", usbbus_strerror(res));
@@ -235,13 +237,14 @@ static int
 acr122_usb_bulk_write(struct acr122_usb_data *data, uint8_t abtTx[], const size_t szTx, const int timeout)
 {
   LOG_HEX(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, "TX", abtTx, szTx);
-  int res = usbbus_bulk_write(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, (char *) abtTx, szTx, timeout);
-  if (res > 0) {
+  int actual_length;
+  int res = usbbus_bulk_transfer(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, (char *) abtTx, szTx, &actual_length, timeout);
+  if (res == 0) {
     // HACK This little hack is a well know problem of USB, see http://www.libusb.org/ticket/6 for more details
-    if ((res % data->uiMaxPacketSize) == 0) {
-      usbbus_bulk_write(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, "\0", 0, timeout);
+    if ((actual_length > 0) && ((actual_length % data->uiMaxPacketSize) == 0)) {
+      usbbus_bulk_transfer(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, "\0", 0, &actual_length, timeout);
     }
-  } else if (res < 0) {
+  } else {
     log_put(LOG_GROUP, LOG_CATEGORY, NFC_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR, "Unable to write to USB (%s)", usbbus_strerror(res));
     if (res == USBBUS_ERROR_TIMEOUT) {
       res = NFC_ETIMEOUT;
diff --git a/libnfc/drivers/pn53x_usb.c b/libnfc/drivers/pn53x_usb.c
index 87db2d8..44094f7 100644
--- a/libnfc/drivers/pn53x_usb.c
+++ b/libnfc/drivers/pn53x_usb.c
@@ -89,10 +89,12 @@ int pn53x_usb_init(nfc_device *pnd);
 static int
 pn53x_usb_bulk_read(struct pn53x_usb_data *data, uint8_t abtRx[], const size_t szRx, const int timeout)
 {
-  int res = usbbus_bulk_read(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointIn, (char *) abtRx, szRx, timeout);
-  if (res > 0) {
-    LOG_HEX(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, "RX", abtRx, res);
-  } else if (res < 0) {
+  int actual_length;
+  int res = usbbus_bulk_transfer(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointIn, (char *) abtRx, szRx, &actual_length, timeout);
+  if (res == 0) {
+    LOG_HEX(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, "RX", abtRx, actual_length);
+    res = actual_length;
+  } else {
     if (res != USBBUS_ERROR_TIMEOUT)
       log_put(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, LOG_CATEGORY, NFC_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR, "Unable to read from USB (%s)", usbbus_strerror(res));
   }
@@ -103,11 +105,12 @@ static int
 pn53x_usb_bulk_write(struct pn53x_usb_data *data, uint8_t abtTx[], const size_t szTx, const int timeout)
 {
   LOG_HEX(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, "TX", abtTx, szTx);
-  int res = usbbus_bulk_write(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, (char *) abtTx, szTx, timeout);
-  if (res > 0) {
+  int actual_length;
+  int res = usbbus_bulk_transfer(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, (char *) abtTx, szTx, &actual_length, timeout);
+  if (res == 0) {
     // HACK This little hack is a well know problem of USB, see http://www.libusb.org/ticket/6 for more details
-    if ((res % data->uiMaxPacketSize) == 0) {
-      usbbus_bulk_write(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, "\0", 0, timeout);
+    if ((actual_length > 0) && ((actual_length % data->uiMaxPacketSize) == 0)) {
+      usbbus_bulk_transfer(data->pudh, data->uiEndPointOut, "\0", 0, &actual_length, timeout);
     }
   } else {
     log_put(NFC_LOG_GROUP_COM, LOG_CATEGORY, NFC_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR, "Unable to write to USB (%s)", usbbus_strerror(res));