diff --git a/archival/bbunzip.c b/archival/bbunzip.c
index b7944a62a..42b4baf88 100644
--- a/archival/bbunzip.c
+++ b/archival/bbunzip.c
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ int FAST_FUNC bbunpack(char **argv,
 					goto err;
 			} else {
 				/* "clever zcat" with FILE */
-				/* fail_if_not_compressed because zcat refuses uncompressed input */
-				int fd = open_zipped(filename, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 1);
+				/* die_if_not_compressed because zcat refuses uncompressed input */
+				int fd = open_zipped(filename, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 1);
 				if (fd < 0)
 					goto err_name;
 				xmove_fd(fd, STDIN_FILENO);
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ int FAST_FUNC bbunpack(char **argv,
 		} else
 		if (option_mask32 & BBUNPK_SEAMLESS_MAGIC) {
 			/* "clever zcat" on stdin */
-			if (setup_unzip_on_fd(STDIN_FILENO, /*fail_if_not_compressed*/ 1))
+			if (setup_unzip_on_fd(STDIN_FILENO, /*die_if_not_compressed*/ 1))
 				goto err;
 		}
 
diff --git a/archival/libarchive/open_transformer.c b/archival/libarchive/open_transformer.c
index 44715ef25..353f68217 100644
--- a/archival/libarchive/open_transformer.c
+++ b/archival/libarchive/open_transformer.c
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ void FAST_FUNC fork_transformer(int fd, const char *transform_prog)
 /* Used by e.g. rpm which gives us a fd without filename,
  * thus we can't guess the format from filename's extension.
  */
-static transformer_state_t *setup_transformer_on_fd(int fd, int fail_if_not_compressed)
+static transformer_state_t *setup_transformer_on_fd(int fd, int die_if_not_compressed)
 {
 	transformer_state_t *xstate;
 
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ static transformer_state_t *setup_transformer_on_fd(int fd, int fail_if_not_comp
 	}
 
 	/* No known magic seen */
-	if (fail_if_not_compressed)
+	if (die_if_not_compressed)
 		bb_simple_error_msg_and_die("no gzip"
 			IF_FEATURE_SEAMLESS_BZ2("/bzip2")
 			IF_FEATURE_SEAMLESS_XZ("/xz")
@@ -240,13 +240,15 @@ static void fork_transformer_and_free(transformer_state_t *xstate)
 /* Used by e.g. rpm which gives us a fd without filename,
  * thus we can't guess the format from filename's extension.
  */
-int FAST_FUNC setup_unzip_on_fd(int fd, int fail_if_not_compressed)
+int FAST_FUNC setup_unzip_on_fd(int fd, int die_if_not_compressed)
 {
-	transformer_state_t *xstate = setup_transformer_on_fd(fd, fail_if_not_compressed);
+	transformer_state_t *xstate = setup_transformer_on_fd(fd, die_if_not_compressed);
 
 	if (!xstate->xformer) {
+		/* Not compressed */
+		int retval = xstate->signature_skipped; /* never zero */
 		free(xstate);
-		return 1;
+		return retval;
 	}
 
 	fork_transformer_and_free(xstate);
@@ -264,7 +266,7 @@ void FAST_FUNC setup_lzma_on_fd(int fd)
 }
 #endif
 
-static transformer_state_t *open_transformer(const char *fname, int fail_if_not_compressed)
+static transformer_state_t *open_transformer(const char *fname, int die_if_not_compressed)
 {
 	transformer_state_t *xstate;
 	int fd;
@@ -284,18 +286,18 @@ static transformer_state_t *open_transformer(const char *fname, int fail_if_not_
 		}
 	}
 
-	xstate = setup_transformer_on_fd(fd, fail_if_not_compressed);
+	xstate = setup_transformer_on_fd(fd, die_if_not_compressed);
 
 	return xstate;
 }
 
-int FAST_FUNC open_zipped(const char *fname, int fail_if_not_compressed)
+int FAST_FUNC open_zipped(const char *fname, int die_if_not_compressed)
 {
 	int fd;
 	transformer_state_t *xstate;
 
-	xstate = open_transformer(fname, fail_if_not_compressed);
-	if (!xstate)
+	xstate = open_transformer(fname, die_if_not_compressed);
+	if (!xstate) /* open error */
 		return -1;
 
 	fd = xstate->src_fd;
@@ -326,7 +328,7 @@ void* FAST_FUNC xmalloc_open_zipped_read_close(const char *fname, size_t *maxsz_
 	transformer_state_t *xstate;
 	char *image;
 
-	xstate = open_transformer(fname, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
+	xstate = open_transformer(fname, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
 	if (!xstate) /* file open error */
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -371,7 +373,7 @@ void* FAST_FUNC xmalloc_open_zipped_read_close(const char *fname, size_t *maxsz_
 	int fd;
 	char *image;
 
-	fd = open_zipped(fname, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
+	fd = open_zipped(fname, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
 	if (fd < 0)
 		return NULL;
 
diff --git a/archival/rpm.c b/archival/rpm.c
index af8db99a6..7fd2a2b46 100644
--- a/archival/rpm.c
+++ b/archival/rpm.c
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ static void extract_cpio(int fd, const char *source_rpm)
 	archive_handle->src_fd = fd;
 	/*archive_handle->offset = 0; - init_handle() did it */
 
-	setup_unzip_on_fd(archive_handle->src_fd, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 1);
+	setup_unzip_on_fd(archive_handle->src_fd, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 1);
 	while (get_header_cpio(archive_handle) == EXIT_SUCCESS)
 		continue;
 }
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ int rpm2cpio_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 		// set up decompressor without detection
 		setup_lzma_on_fd(rpm_fd);
 	} else {
-		setup_unzip_on_fd(rpm_fd, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 1);
+		setup_unzip_on_fd(rpm_fd, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 1);
 	}
 
 	if (bb_copyfd_eof(rpm_fd, STDOUT_FILENO) < 0)
diff --git a/archival/tar.c b/archival/tar.c
index d6ca6c1e0..38906ba02 100644
--- a/archival/tar.c
+++ b/archival/tar.c
@@ -1164,7 +1164,7 @@ int tar_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 		 * on e.g. tarball with 1st file named "BZh5".
 		 */
 		) {
-			tar_handle->src_fd = open_zipped(tar_filename, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
+			tar_handle->src_fd = open_zipped(tar_filename, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
 			if (tar_handle->src_fd < 0)
 				bb_perror_msg_and_die("can't open '%s'", tar_filename);
 		} else {
diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index 4d6193795..558f3c627 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -1011,13 +1011,13 @@ unsigned bb_clk_tck(void) FAST_FUNC;
 
 #if SEAMLESS_COMPRESSION
 /* Autodetects gzip/bzip2 formats. fd may be in the middle of the file! */
-int setup_unzip_on_fd(int fd, int fail_if_not_compressed) FAST_FUNC;
+int setup_unzip_on_fd(int fd, int die_if_not_compressed) FAST_FUNC;
 /* Autodetects .gz etc */
-extern int open_zipped(const char *fname, int fail_if_not_compressed) FAST_FUNC;
+extern int open_zipped(const char *fname, int die_if_not_compressed) FAST_FUNC;
 extern void *xmalloc_open_zipped_read_close(const char *fname, size_t *maxsz_p) FAST_FUNC RETURNS_MALLOC;
 #else
 # define setup_unzip_on_fd(...) (0)
-# define open_zipped(fname, fail_if_not_compressed)  open((fname), O_RDONLY);
+# define open_zipped(fname, die_if_not_compressed)  open((fname), O_RDONLY);
 # define xmalloc_open_zipped_read_close(fname, maxsz_p) xmalloc_open_read_close((fname), (maxsz_p))
 #endif
 /* lzma has no signature, need a little helper. NB: exist only for ENABLE_FEATURE_SEAMLESS_LZMA=y */
diff --git a/miscutils/fbsplash.c b/miscutils/fbsplash.c
index 2934d8eb7..912a501a3 100644
--- a/miscutils/fbsplash.c
+++ b/miscutils/fbsplash.c
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ static void fb_drawimage(void)
 	if (LONE_DASH(G.image_filename)) {
 		theme_file = stdin;
 	} else {
-		int fd = open_zipped(G.image_filename, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
+		int fd = open_zipped(G.image_filename, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 0);
 		if (fd < 0)
 			bb_simple_perror_msg_and_die(G.image_filename);
 		theme_file = xfdopen_for_read(fd);
diff --git a/miscutils/man.c b/miscutils/man.c
index deaf9e5ab..6fa1fbfdc 100644
--- a/miscutils/man.c
+++ b/miscutils/man.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static int run_pipe(char *man_filename, int man, int level)
 
  ordinary_manpage:
 	close(STDIN_FILENO);
-	open_zipped(man_filename, /*fail_if_not_compressed:*/ 0); /* guaranteed to use fd 0 (STDIN_FILENO) */
+	open_zipped(man_filename, /*die_if_not_compressed:*/ 0); /* guaranteed to use fd 0 (STDIN_FILENO) */
 	if (man) {
 		int w = get_terminal_width(-1);
 		if (w > 10)