diff --git a/Objects/stringobject.c b/Objects/stringobject.c
index 0aa1e5b3890..b4c89505f7d 100644
--- a/Objects/stringobject.c
+++ b/Objects/stringobject.c
@@ -802,7 +802,7 @@ LOCAL(Py_ssize_t)
 fastsearch(const char* s, Py_ssize_t n, const char* p, Py_ssize_t m, int mode)
 {
 	long mask;
-	int skip, count = 0;
+	Py_ssize_t skip, count = 0;
 	Py_ssize_t i, j, mlast, w;
 
 	w = n - m;
diff --git a/Objects/unicodeobject.c b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
index 82914008e0a..0dea75d0ad6 100644
--- a/Objects/unicodeobject.c
+++ b/Objects/unicodeobject.c
@@ -3884,7 +3884,7 @@ LOCAL(Py_ssize_t)
 fastsearch(Py_UNICODE* s, Py_ssize_t n, Py_UNICODE* p, Py_ssize_t m, int mode)
 {
     long mask;
-    int skip, count = 0;
+    Py_ssize_t skip, count = 0;
     Py_ssize_t i, j, mlast, w;
 
     w = n - m;