diff --git a/include/kernel.h b/include/kernel.h
index 30e449f1b6d..59fa082a884 100644
--- a/include/kernel.h
+++ b/include/kernel.h
@@ -787,9 +787,11 @@ void k_thread_system_pool_assign(struct k_thread *thread);
  *
  * @param duration Number of milliseconds to sleep.
  *
- * @return N/A
+ * @return Zero if the requested time has elapsed or the number of milliseconds
+ * left to sleep, if thread was woken up by \ref k_wakeup call.
+ *
  */
-__syscall void k_sleep(s32_t duration);
+__syscall s32_t k_sleep(s32_t duration);
 
 /**
  * @brief Cause the current thread to busy wait.
diff --git a/kernel/sched.c b/kernel/sched.c
index f914e0f3e2c..1ac656ccafd 100644
--- a/kernel/sched.c
+++ b/kernel/sched.c
@@ -793,13 +793,11 @@ void _impl_k_yield(void)
 Z_SYSCALL_HANDLER0_SIMPLE_VOID(k_yield);
 #endif
 
-void _impl_k_sleep(s32_t duration)
+s32_t _impl_k_sleep(s32_t duration)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_MULTITHREADING
-	/* volatile to guarantee that irq_lock() is executed after ticks is
-	 * populated
-	 */
-	volatile s32_t ticks;
+	u32_t expected_wakeup_time;
+	s32_t ticks;
 	unsigned int key;
 
 	__ASSERT(!_is_in_isr(), "");
@@ -810,17 +808,25 @@ void _impl_k_sleep(s32_t duration)
 	/* wait of 0 ms is treated as a 'yield' */
 	if (duration == 0) {
 		k_yield();
-		return;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	ticks = _TICK_ALIGN + _ms_to_ticks(duration);
+	expected_wakeup_time = ticks + z_tick_get_32();
 	key = irq_lock();
 
 	_remove_thread_from_ready_q(_current);
 	_add_thread_timeout(_current, ticks);
 
 	(void)_Swap(key);
+
+	ticks = expected_wakeup_time - z_tick_get_32();
+	if (ticks > 0) {
+		return __ticks_to_ms(ticks);
+	}
 #endif
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_USERSPACE
@@ -831,9 +837,8 @@ Z_SYSCALL_HANDLER(k_sleep, duration)
 	 */
 	Z_OOPS(Z_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG(duration != K_FOREVER,
 				    "sleeping forever not allowed"));
-	_impl_k_sleep(duration);
 
-	return 0;
+	return _impl_k_sleep(duration);
 }
 #endif