diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
index 0cc50f71f88723704cca57877488ea1035741b98..34ea88ccbabe731fd7f9f4e8f820079632e68277 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_encodeframe.c
@@ -1473,8 +1473,8 @@ static void set_source_var_based_partition(VP9_COMP *cpi,
     const int pre_offset = (mi_row * MI_SIZE) * pre_stride +
                            (mi_col * MI_SIZE);
     const uint8_t *pre_src = cpi->Last_Source->y_buffer + pre_offset;
-    const int thr_32x32 = cpi->sf.source_var_thresh;
-    const int thr_64x64 = thr_32x32 << 1;
+    const unsigned int thr_32x32 = cpi->sf.source_var_thresh;
+    const unsigned int thr_64x64 = thr_32x32 << 1;
     int i, j;
     int index;
     diff d32[4];
diff --git a/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.h b/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.h
index 72f548a04a828304449b0d073654a1728020185c..55422979a4e73b0ef77565e0b6fab52fe30e4b39 100644
--- a/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.h
+++ b/vp9/encoder/vp9_speed_features.h
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ typedef struct {
   int search_type_check_frequency;
 
   // The threshold used in SOURCE_VAR_BASED_PARTITION search type.
-  int source_var_thresh;
+  unsigned int source_var_thresh;
 } SPEED_FEATURES;
 
 struct VP9_COMP;