diff --git a/drivers/message/i2o/exec-osm.c b/drivers/message/i2o/exec-osm.c
index 91f95d172ca5..01a5a702b037 100644
--- a/drivers/message/i2o/exec-osm.c
+++ b/drivers/message/i2o/exec-osm.c
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ int i2o_msg_post_wait_mem(struct i2o_controller *c, struct i2o_message *msg,
 	DECLARE_WAIT_QUEUE_HEAD(wq);
 	struct i2o_exec_wait *wait;
 	static u32 tcntxt = 0x80000000;
-	long flags;
+	unsigned long flags;
 	int rc = 0;
 
 	wait = i2o_exec_wait_alloc();