diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative-asm.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative-asm.h
index e7636bac7372d41d4b8077f4d7df7d81de32ee32..6c98821fef5ed9f0b953141a905b99893663652e 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative-asm.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative-asm.h
@@ -62,8 +62,10 @@
 #define new_len2		145f-144f
 
 /*
- * max without conditionals. Idea adapted from:
+ * gas compatible max based on the idea from:
  * http://graphics.stanford.edu/~seander/bithacks.html#IntegerMinOrMax
+ *
+ * The additional "-" is needed because gas uses a "true" value of -1.
  */
 #define alt_max_short(a, b)	((a) ^ (((a) ^ (b)) & -(-((a) < (b)))))
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative.h
index c096624137ae831fa4d0f9cebf528453598fdefb..ccbe24e697c46cee2890d00fda413b9f31b41af6 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/alternative.h
@@ -103,12 +103,12 @@ static inline int alternatives_text_reserved(void *start, void *end)
 	alt_end_marker ":\n"
 
 /*
- * max without conditionals. Idea adapted from:
+ * gas compatible max based on the idea from:
  * http://graphics.stanford.edu/~seander/bithacks.html#IntegerMinOrMax
  *
- * The additional "-" is needed because gas works with s32s.
+ * The additional "-" is needed because gas uses a "true" value of -1.
  */
-#define alt_max_short(a, b)	"((" a ") ^ (((" a ") ^ (" b ")) & -(-((" a ") - (" b ")))))"
+#define alt_max_short(a, b)	"((" a ") ^ (((" a ") ^ (" b ")) & -(-((" a ") < (" b ")))))"
 
 /*
  * Pad the second replacement alternative with additional NOPs if it is