diff --git a/channels/chan_iax2.c b/channels/chan_iax2.c
index 05c23067d318f43e2b092d92fd988176daebd0c7..33d3b817f9eac6bdab066ccc9737bc53773e00a6 100644
--- a/channels/chan_iax2.c
+++ b/channels/chan_iax2.c
@@ -735,7 +735,7 @@ struct iax2_thread {
 	struct sockaddr_in iosin;
 	unsigned char readbuf[4096]; 
 	unsigned char *buf;
-	size_t buf_len;
+	ssize_t buf_len;
 	size_t buf_size;
 	int iofd;
 	time_t checktime;