diff --git a/modules/src/object/rd_bytes.c b/modules/src/object/rd_bytes.c
index e46f4cb43..3c9822ffb 100644
--- a/modules/src/object/rd_bytes.c
+++ b/modules/src/object/rd_bytes.c
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 #define MININT		(1 << (sizeof(int) * 8 - 1))
-#define MAXCHUNK	(-(MININT + 1))	/* Highest count we write(2).	*/
+#define MAXCHUNK	(~MININT)	/* Highest count we read(2).	*/
+/* Unfortunately, MAXCHUNK is too large with some  compilers. Put it in
+   an int!
+*/
+
+int maxchunk = MAXCHUNK;
 
 /*
  * We don't have to worry about byte order here.
@@ -12,7 +17,7 @@ rd_bytes(fd, string, cnt)
 {
 
 	while (cnt) {
-		register int n = cnt >= MAXCHUNK ? MAXCHUNK : cnt;
+		register int n = cnt >= maxchunk ? maxchunk : cnt;
 
 		if (read(fd, string, n) != n)
 			rd_fatal();
diff --git a/modules/src/object/wr_bytes.c b/modules/src/object/wr_bytes.c
index 8dccc4b16..55e8932e2 100644
--- a/modules/src/object/wr_bytes.c
+++ b/modules/src/object/wr_bytes.c
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 #define MININT		(1 << (sizeof(int) * 8 - 1))
-#define MAXCHUNK	(-(MININT + 1))	/* Highest count we write(2).	*/
+#define MAXCHUNK	(~MININT)	/* Highest count we write(2).	*/
+/* Notice that MAXCHUNK itself might be too large with some compilers.
+   You have to put it in an int!
+*/
+
+int maxchunk = MAXCHUNK;
 
 /*
  * Just write "cnt" bytes to file-descriptor "fd".
@@ -10,7 +15,7 @@ wr_bytes(fd, string, cnt)
 {
 
 	while (cnt) {
-		register int n = cnt >= MAXCHUNK ? MAXCHUNK : cnt;
+		register int n = cnt >= maxchunk ? maxchunk : cnt;
 
 		if (write(fd, string, n) != n)
 			wr_fatal();