diff --git a/libr/debug/debug.c b/libr/debug/debug.c
index ca2823531d..f80464b26a 100644
--- a/libr/debug/debug.c
+++ b/libr/debug/debug.c
@@ -1530,7 +1530,8 @@ R_API ut64 r_debug_get_baddr(RDebug *dbg, const char *file) {
 		return 0LL;
 	}
 #if __WINDOWS__
-	return r_io_desc_get_base (dbg->iob.io->desc);
+	ut64 base;
+	return r_io_desc_get_base (dbg->iob.io->desc, &base), base;
 #else
 	r_debug_select (dbg, pid, tid);
 	r_debug_map_sync (dbg);
diff --git a/libr/include/r_io.h b/libr/include/r_io.h
index f8172d4120..cf9940ad56 100644
--- a/libr/include/r_io.h
+++ b/libr/include/r_io.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ typedef struct r_io_plugin_t {
 	bool (*is_blockdevice)(RIODesc *desc);
 	int (*getpid)(RIODesc *desc);
 	int (*gettid)(RIODesc *desc);
-	ut64 (*getbase)(RIODesc *desc);
+	bool (*getbase)(RIODesc *desc, ut64 *base);
 	bool (*resize)(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, ut64 size);
 	int (*extend)(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, ut64 size);
 	bool (*accept)(RIO *io, RIODesc *desc, int fd);
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ R_API bool r_io_desc_exchange (RIO *io, int fd, int fdx);	//this should get 2 de
 R_API bool r_io_desc_is_dbg (RIODesc *desc);
 R_API int r_io_desc_get_pid (RIODesc *desc);
 R_API int r_io_desc_get_tid (RIODesc *desc);
-R_API ut64 r_io_desc_get_base (RIODesc *desc);
+R_API bool r_io_desc_get_base (RIODesc *desc, ut64 *base);
 R_API int r_io_desc_read_at (RIODesc *desc, ut64 addr, ut8 *buf, int len);
 R_API int r_io_desc_write_at (RIODesc *desc, ut64 addr, const ut8 *buf, int len);
 R_API bool r_io_desc_fini (RIO *io);
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ R_API int r_io_fd_write_at (RIO *io, int fd, ut64 addr, const ut8 *buf, int len)
 R_API bool r_io_fd_is_dbg (RIO *io, int fd);
 R_API int r_io_fd_get_pid (RIO *io, int fd);
 R_API int r_io_fd_get_tid (RIO *io, int fd);
-R_API int r_io_fd_get_base (RIO *io, int fd);
+R_API bool r_io_fd_get_base (RIO *io, int fd, ut64 *base);
 R_API const char *r_io_fd_get_name (RIO *io, int fd);
 R_API int r_io_fd_get_current(RIO *io);
 R_API bool r_io_use_fd (RIO *io, int fd);
diff --git a/libr/io/desc.c b/libr/io/desc.c
index 92f3556bde..f81c081ca0 100644
--- a/libr/io/desc.c
+++ b/libr/io/desc.c
@@ -287,21 +287,11 @@ R_API int r_io_desc_get_tid(RIODesc *desc) {
 	return desc->plugin->gettid (desc);
 }
 
-R_API ut64 r_io_desc_get_base (RIODesc *desc) {
-	//-1 and -2 are reserved
-	if (!desc) {
-		return -3;
+R_API bool r_io_desc_get_base (RIODesc *desc, ut64 *base) {
+	if (!base || !desc || !desc->plugin || !desc->plugin->isdbg || !desc->plugin->getbase) {
+		return false;
 	}
-	if (!desc->plugin) {
-		return -4;
-	}
-	if (!desc->plugin->isdbg) {
-		return -5;
-	}
-	if (!desc->plugin->getbase) {
-		return -6;
-	}
-	return desc->plugin->getbase (desc);
+	return desc->plugin->getbase (desc, base);
 }
 
 R_API int r_io_desc_read_at(RIODesc *desc, ut64 addr, ut8 *buf, int len) {
diff --git a/libr/io/fd.c b/libr/io/fd.c
index 72259dce7e..b5fd0b0335 100644
--- a/libr/io/fd.c
+++ b/libr/io/fd.c
@@ -92,14 +92,15 @@ R_API int r_io_fd_get_tid(RIO *io, int fd) {
 	return r_io_desc_get_tid (desc);
 }
 
-R_API int r_io_fd_get_base (RIO *io, int fd) {
+R_API bool r_io_fd_get_base (RIO *io, int fd, ut64 *base) {
 	RIODesc *desc;
-	if (!io || !io->files) {
-		return -2;
+	if (!io || !io->files || !base) {
+		return false;
 	}
 	desc = r_io_desc_get (io, fd);
-	return r_io_desc_get_base (desc);
+	return r_io_desc_get_base (desc, base);
 }
+
 R_API const char *r_io_fd_get_name(RIO *io, int fd) {
 	RIODesc *desc;
 	if (!io || !io->files || !(desc = r_io_desc_get (io, fd))) {
diff --git a/libr/io/p/io_w32dbg.c b/libr/io/p/io_w32dbg.c
index ca894b99ed..63550f989c 100644
--- a/libr/io/p/io_w32dbg.c
+++ b/libr/io/p/io_w32dbg.c
@@ -143,9 +143,13 @@ static int __gettid (RIODesc *fd) {
 	return iow? iow->tid: -1;
 }
 
-static int __getbase (RIODesc *fd) {
+static bool __getbase (RIODesc *fd, ut64 *base) {
 	RIOW32Dbg *iow = (RIOW32Dbg *)(fd ? fd->data : NULL);
-	return iow ? iow->winbase: -1;
+	if (base && iow) {
+		*base = iow->winbase;
+		return true;
+	}
+	return false;
 }
 
 RIOPlugin r_io_plugin_w32dbg = {