diff --git a/include/linux/refcount.h b/include/linux/refcount.h
index 79f62e8d2256..89066a1471dd 100644
--- a/include/linux/refcount.h
+++ b/include/linux/refcount.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ typedef struct refcount_struct {
  * @r: the refcount
  * @n: value to which the refcount will be set
  */
-static inline void refcount_set(refcount_t *r, unsigned int n)
+static inline void refcount_set(refcount_t *r, int n)
 {
 	atomic_set(&r->refs, n);
 }
@@ -44,13 +44,13 @@ static inline unsigned int refcount_read(const refcount_t *r)
 	return atomic_read(&r->refs);
 }
 
-extern __must_check bool refcount_add_not_zero_checked(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r);
-extern void refcount_add_checked(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r);
+extern __must_check bool refcount_add_not_zero_checked(int i, refcount_t *r);
+extern void refcount_add_checked(int i, refcount_t *r);
 
 extern __must_check bool refcount_inc_not_zero_checked(refcount_t *r);
 extern void refcount_inc_checked(refcount_t *r);
 
-extern __must_check bool refcount_sub_and_test_checked(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r);
+extern __must_check bool refcount_sub_and_test_checked(int i, refcount_t *r);
 
 extern __must_check bool refcount_dec_and_test_checked(refcount_t *r);
 extern void refcount_dec_checked(refcount_t *r);
@@ -79,12 +79,12 @@ extern void refcount_dec_checked(refcount_t *r);
 # ifdef CONFIG_ARCH_HAS_REFCOUNT
 #  include <asm/refcount.h>
 # else
-static inline __must_check bool refcount_add_not_zero(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r)
+static inline __must_check bool refcount_add_not_zero(int i, refcount_t *r)
 {
 	return atomic_add_unless(&r->refs, i, 0);
 }
 
-static inline void refcount_add(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r)
+static inline void refcount_add(int i, refcount_t *r)
 {
 	atomic_add(i, &r->refs);
 }
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ static inline void refcount_inc(refcount_t *r)
 	atomic_inc(&r->refs);
 }
 
-static inline __must_check bool refcount_sub_and_test(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r)
+static inline __must_check bool refcount_sub_and_test(int i, refcount_t *r)
 {
 	return atomic_sub_and_test(i, &r->refs);
 }
diff --git a/lib/refcount.c b/lib/refcount.c
index 48b78a423d7d..719b0bc42ab1 100644
--- a/lib/refcount.c
+++ b/lib/refcount.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
  *
  * Return: false if the passed refcount is 0, true otherwise
  */
-bool refcount_add_not_zero_checked(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r)
+bool refcount_add_not_zero_checked(int i, refcount_t *r)
 {
 	unsigned int new, val = atomic_read(&r->refs);
 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(refcount_add_not_zero_checked);
  * cases, refcount_inc(), or one of its variants, should instead be used to
  * increment a reference count.
  */
-void refcount_add_checked(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r)
+void refcount_add_checked(int i, refcount_t *r)
 {
 	WARN_ONCE(!refcount_add_not_zero_checked(i, r), "refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.\n");
 }
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL(refcount_inc_checked);
  *
  * Return: true if the resulting refcount is 0, false otherwise
  */
-bool refcount_sub_and_test_checked(unsigned int i, refcount_t *r)
+bool refcount_sub_and_test_checked(int i, refcount_t *r)
 {
 	unsigned int new, val = atomic_read(&r->refs);