diff --git a/src/util/virdbus.c b/src/util/virdbus.c
index 8f724e941f..e88dc267b9 100644
--- a/src/util/virdbus.c
+++ b/src/util/virdbus.c
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ virDBusMessageIterDecode(DBusMessageIter *rootiter,
 
         switch (*t) {
         case DBUS_TYPE_BYTE:
-            GET_NEXT_VAL(unsigned char, int, "%d");
+            GET_NEXT_VAL(unsigned char, unsigned char, "%d");
             break;
 
         case DBUS_TYPE_BOOLEAN:
@@ -746,11 +746,11 @@ virDBusMessageIterDecode(DBusMessageIter *rootiter,
             break;
 
         case DBUS_TYPE_INT16:
-            GET_NEXT_VAL(dbus_int16_t, int, "%d");
+            GET_NEXT_VAL(dbus_int16_t, short, "%d");
             break;
 
         case DBUS_TYPE_UINT16:
-            GET_NEXT_VAL(dbus_uint16_t, unsigned int, "%d");
+            GET_NEXT_VAL(dbus_uint16_t, unsigned short, "%d");
             break;
 
         case DBUS_TYPE_INT32:
diff --git a/tests/virdbustest.c b/tests/virdbustest.c
index fb241eec81..61de937001 100644
--- a/tests/virdbustest.c
+++ b/tests/virdbustest.c
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ static int testMessageSimple(const void *args ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     int ret = -1;
     unsigned char in_byte = 200, out_byte = 0;
     int in_bool = true, out_bool = false;
-    int in_int16 = 12000, out_int16 = 0;
-    unsigned int in_uint16 = 32000, out_uint16 = 0;
+    short in_int16 = 0xfefe, out_int16 = 0;
+    unsigned short in_uint16 = 32000, out_uint16 = 0;
     int in_int32 = 100000000, out_int32 = 0;
     unsigned int in_uint32 = 200000000, out_uint32 = 0;
     long long in_int64 = 1000000000000, out_int64 = 0;
@@ -232,8 +232,8 @@ static int testMessageStruct(const void *args ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     int ret = -1;
     unsigned char in_byte = 200, out_byte = 0;
     int in_bool = true, out_bool = false;
-    int in_int16 = 12000, out_int16 = 0;
-    unsigned int in_uint16 = 32000, out_uint16 = 0;
+    short in_int16 = 12000, out_int16 = 0;
+    unsigned short in_uint16 = 32000, out_uint16 = 0;
     int in_int32 = 100000000, out_int32 = 0;
     unsigned int in_uint32 = 200000000, out_uint32 = 0;
     long long in_int64 = 1000000000000, out_int64 = 0;