diff --git a/cmd/load.c b/cmd/load.c
index 2715cf5957..540361b43f 100644
--- a/cmd/load.c
+++ b/cmd/load.c
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ static ulong load_serial(long offset)
 static int read_record(char *buf, ulong len)
 {
 	char *p;
-	char c;
+	int c;
 
 	--len;	/* always leave room for terminating '\0' byte */
 
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ static void handle_send_packet(int n)
 /* k_recv receives a OS Open image file over kermit line */
 static int k_recv(void)
 {
-	char new_char;
+	int new_char;
 	char k_state, k_state_saved;
 	int sum;
 	int done;
diff --git a/common/cli_readline.c b/common/cli_readline.c
index 85453beed7..2507be2295 100644
--- a/common/cli_readline.c
+++ b/common/cli_readline.c
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ static int cread_line_simple(const char *const prompt, char *p)
 	int n = 0;		/* buffer index */
 	int plen = 0;		/* prompt length */
 	int col;		/* output column cnt */
-	char c;
+	int c;
 
 	/* print prompt */
 	if (prompt) {