diff --git a/fpu/softfloat-specialize.h b/fpu/softfloat-specialize.h
index 43d08903a5..f5aed72e8f 100644
--- a/fpu/softfloat-specialize.h
+++ b/fpu/softfloat-specialize.h
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ float128 float128_default_nan(float_status *status)
 | should be simply `float_exception_flags |= flags;'.
 *----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-void float_raise(int8_t flags, float_status *status)
+void float_raise(uint8_t flags, float_status *status)
 {
     status->float_exception_flags |= flags;
 }
diff --git a/include/fpu/softfloat.h b/include/fpu/softfloat.h
index 0e57ee53c0..1bde349b74 100644
--- a/include/fpu/softfloat.h
+++ b/include/fpu/softfloat.h
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ enum {
 typedef struct float_status {
     signed char float_detect_tininess;
     signed char float_rounding_mode;
-    signed char float_exception_flags;
+    uint8_t     float_exception_flags;
     signed char floatx80_rounding_precision;
     /* should denormalised results go to zero and set the inexact flag? */
     flag flush_to_zero;
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ static inline flag get_default_nan_mode(float_status *status)
 | Routine to raise any or all of the software IEC/IEEE floating-point
 | exception flags.
 *----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-void float_raise(int8_t flags, float_status *status);
+void float_raise(uint8_t flags, float_status *status);
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | If `a' is denormal and we are in flush-to-zero mode then set the