diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
index 130e81e10fc7cfae6dd6e193965f65648a0d1a79..050368db9d35763d3afae17bf2a28cb2343f4548 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/apic.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ static inline void generic_apic_probe(void)
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_X86_LOCAL_APIC
 
-extern unsigned int apic_verbosity;
+extern int apic_verbosity;
 extern int local_apic_timer_c2_ok;
 
 extern int disable_apic;
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c
index 02020f2e008097d2cfc22304c427f826fcac9944..272a12865b2aabebec7d2e559e56dc0e45eb449a 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/apic/apic.c
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(local_apic_timer_c2_ok);
 /*
  * Debug level, exported for io_apic.c
  */
-unsigned int apic_verbosity;
+int apic_verbosity;
 
 int pic_mode;