diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.c b/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.c
index f1112a8c9b..f5269a9a9f 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.c
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.c
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ int mca_btl_sm_add_procs_same_base_addr(
 {
     int return_code=OMPI_SUCCESS, cnt,len;
     size_t i,j,proc,size,n_to_allocate,length;
-    uint32_t n_local_procs;
+    int32_t n_local_procs;
     ompi_proc_t* my_proc; /* pointer to caller's proc structure */
     mca_btl_sm_t *btl_sm;
     ompi_fifo_t *my_fifos;
diff --git a/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.h b/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.h
index ae3020f914..2bbc07945a 100644
--- a/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.h
+++ b/ompi/mca/btl/sm/btl_sm.h
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ struct mca_btl_sm_component_t {
     int sm_free_list_inc;              /**< number of elements to alloc when growing free lists */
     int sm_exclusivity;                /**< exclusivity setting */
     int sm_latency;                    /**< lowest latency */
-    uint32_t sm_max_procs;             /**< upper limit on the number of processes using the shared memory pool */
+    int32_t sm_max_procs;              /**< upper limit on the number of processes using the shared memory pool */
     int sm_extra_procs;                /**< number of extra procs to allow */
     char* sm_mpool_name;               /**< name of shared memory pool module */
     mca_mpool_base_module_t* sm_mpool; /**< shared memory pool */