diff --git a/Source/player.cpp b/Source/player.cpp
index c12fb9751..43dc8a638 100644
--- a/Source/player.cpp
+++ b/Source/player.cpp
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ void __fastcall CreatePlayer(int pnum, char c)
 	ClearPlrRVars(&plr[pnum]);
 	SetRndSeed(GetTickCount());
 
-	if ( pnum >= MAX_PLRS )
+	if ( (DWORD)pnum >= MAX_PLRS )
 	{
 		TermMsg("CreatePlayer: illegal player %d", pnum);
 	}
diff --git a/defs.h b/defs.h
index 9f55f3f38..652bdc574 100644
--- a/defs.h
+++ b/defs.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #define LIGHTSIZE				6912 // 27 * 256
 
 // must be unsigned to generate unsigned comparisons with pnum
-#define MAX_PLRS				4U
+#define MAX_PLRS				4
 
 #define MAX_CHARACTERS			10
 #define MAX_LVLMTYPES			16