diff --git a/include/git2/pkt.h b/include/git2/pkt.h
index 7a91ed490..bcd5c81d1 100644
--- a/include/git2/pkt.h
+++ b/include/git2/pkt.h
@@ -56,5 +56,5 @@ struct git_pkt_ref {
  */
 int git_pkt_gen_proto(char **out, int *outlen, const char *cmd, const char *url);
 int git_pkt_send_request(int socket, const char *cmd, const char *url);
-int git_pkt_parse_line(git_pkt **head, const char *line, const char **out, unsigned int len);
+int git_pkt_parse_line(git_pkt **head, const char *line, const char **out, size_t len);
 void git_pkt_free(git_pkt *pkt);
diff --git a/src/pkt.c b/src/pkt.c
index a7365cc0f..403850b08 100644
--- a/src/pkt.c
+++ b/src/pkt.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ out:
 	return error;
 }
 
-static unsigned int parse_len(const char *line)
+static ssize_t parse_len(const char *line)
 {
 	char num[PKT_LEN_SIZE + 1];
 	int i, error;
@@ -142,10 +142,10 @@ static unsigned int parse_len(const char *line)
  * in ASCII hexadecimal (including itself)
  */
 
-int git_pkt_parse_line(git_pkt **head, const char *line, const char **out, unsigned int bufflen)
+int git_pkt_parse_line(git_pkt **head, const char *line, const char **out, size_t bufflen)
 {
 	int error = GIT_SUCCESS;
-	unsigned int len;
+	size_t len;
 
 	/* Not even enough for the length */
 	if (bufflen > 0 && bufflen < PKT_LEN_SIZE)