diff --git a/kernel-module/nft_rtpengine.c b/kernel-module/nft_rtpengine.c
index a969b2739..10dd3cebe 100644
--- a/kernel-module/nft_rtpengine.c
+++ b/kernel-module/nft_rtpengine.c
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ static struct rtpengine_table *new_table(void) {
 
 
 static inline void __ref_get(void *p, atomic_t *refcnt) {
-	DBG("ref_get(%p) - refcnt is %u\n", p, atomic_read(refcnt));
+	DBG("ref_get(%p) - refcnt is %d\n", p, atomic_read(refcnt));
 	atomic_inc(refcnt);
 }
 #define ref_get(o) __ref_get(o, &(o)->refcnt)
diff --git a/lib/obj.h b/lib/obj.h
index f6bec39b1..6f8d6ebbf 100644
--- a/lib/obj.h
+++ b/lib/obj.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ struct obj {
 	uint32_t		magic;
 	char			*type;
 #endif
-	unsigned int		ref;
+	int			ref;
 	void			(*clear_func)(void *);
 	void			(*free_func)(void *);
 };