diff --git a/src/dir/dir.c b/src/dir/dir.c
index b7f40a3373..cfbf2d3da6 100644
--- a/src/dir/dir.c
+++ b/src/dir/dir.c
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ DirHash(register char *string)
 {
     /* Hash a string to a number between 0 and NHASHENT. */
     register unsigned char tc;
-    register int hval;
+    unsigned int hval;
     register int tval;
     hval = 0;
     while ((tc = (*string++))) {
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ DirHash(register char *string)
     tval = hval & (NHASHENT - 1);
     if (tval == 0)
 	return tval;
-    else if (hval < 0)
+    else if (hval >= 1<<31)
 	tval = NHASHENT - tval;
     return tval;
 }