diff --git a/src/hb-open-type-private.hh b/src/hb-open-type-private.hh
index cc661c0c44e790e2538e1134e612a46755a940e2..3c2c63187c3342c242be516dffaf537b25599401 100644
--- a/src/hb-open-type-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-open-type-private.hh
@@ -621,7 +621,14 @@ struct IntType
   inline bool operator != (const IntType<Type,Size> &o) const { return v != o.v; }
   static inline int cmp (const IntType<Type,Size> *a, const IntType<Type,Size> *b) { return b->cmp (*a); }
   inline int cmp (IntType<Type,Size> va) const { Type a = va; return cmp (va); }
-  inline int cmp (Type a) const { Type b = v; return a < b ? -1 : a == b ? 0 : +1; }
+  inline int cmp (Type a) const
+  {
+    Type b = v;
+    if (sizeof (Type) < sizeof (int))
+      return (int) a - (int) b;
+    else
+      return a < b ? -1 : a == b ? 0 : +1;
+  }
   inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) const
   {
     TRACE_SANITIZE (this);