diff --git a/symlinks.c b/symlinks.c
index 9cc090d42c..9e01ab3bc8 100644
--- a/symlinks.c
+++ b/symlinks.c
@@ -74,11 +74,12 @@ static inline void reset_lstat_cache(struct cache_def *cache)
  */
 static int lstat_cache_matchlen(struct cache_def *cache,
 				const char *name, int len,
-				int *ret_flags, int track_flags,
+				unsigned int *ret_flags, unsigned int track_flags,
 				int prefix_len_stat_func)
 {
 	int match_len, last_slash, last_slash_dir, previous_slash;
-	int save_flags, ret, saved_errno = 0;
+	unsigned int save_flags;
+	int ret, saved_errno = 0;
 	struct stat st;
 
 	if (cache->track_flags != track_flags ||
@@ -192,10 +193,10 @@ static int lstat_cache_matchlen(struct cache_def *cache,
 	return match_len;
 }
 
-static int lstat_cache(struct cache_def *cache, const char *name, int len,
-		       int track_flags, int prefix_len_stat_func)
+static unsigned int lstat_cache(struct cache_def *cache, const char *name, int len,
+		       unsigned int track_flags, int prefix_len_stat_func)
 {
-	int flags;
+	unsigned int flags;
 	(void)lstat_cache_matchlen(cache, name, len, &flags, track_flags,
 			prefix_len_stat_func);
 	return flags;
@@ -234,7 +235,7 @@ int check_leading_path(const char *name, int len, int warn_on_lstat_err)
 static int threaded_check_leading_path(struct cache_def *cache, const char *name,
 				       int len, int warn_on_lstat_err)
 {
-	int flags;
+	unsigned int flags;
 	int match_len = lstat_cache_matchlen(cache, name, len, &flags,
 			   FL_SYMLINK|FL_NOENT|FL_DIR, USE_ONLY_LSTAT);
 	int saved_errno = errno;
diff --git a/symlinks.h b/symlinks.h
index 7ae3d5b856..25bf04f54f 100644
--- a/symlinks.h
+++ b/symlinks.h
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 
 struct cache_def {
 	struct strbuf path;
-	int flags;
-	int track_flags;
+	unsigned int flags;
+	unsigned int track_flags;
 	int prefix_len_stat_func;
 };
 #define CACHE_DEF_INIT { \