diff --git a/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h b/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h
index 2e0c53641cbe..4dfb793c3f15 100644
--- a/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h
+++ b/include/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack.h
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ static inline int nf_ct_is_untracked(const struct sk_buff *skb)
 
 extern int nf_conntrack_set_hashsize(const char *val, struct kernel_param *kp);
 extern unsigned int nf_conntrack_htable_size;
-extern int nf_conntrack_max;
+extern unsigned int nf_conntrack_max;
 
 #define NF_CT_STAT_INC(net, count)	\
 	(per_cpu_ptr((net)->ct.stat, raw_smp_processor_id())->count++)
diff --git a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
index 90ce9ddb9451..f3aa4e65b15e 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nf_conntrack_core.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_lock);
 unsigned int nf_conntrack_htable_size __read_mostly;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_htable_size);
 
-int nf_conntrack_max __read_mostly;
+unsigned int nf_conntrack_max __read_mostly;
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(nf_conntrack_max);
 
 struct nf_conn nf_conntrack_untracked __read_mostly;