diff --git a/include/hack.h b/include/hack.h
index 75dd2ba7e..d95dd4146 100644
--- a/include/hack.h
+++ b/include/hack.h
@@ -786,17 +786,18 @@ enum InputState {
 struct sortloot_item {
     struct obj *obj;
     char *str; /* result of loot_xname(obj) in some cases, otherwise null */
-    int indx; /* signed int, because sortloot()'s qsort comparison routine
-                 assumes (a->indx - b->indx) might yield a negative result */
-    xint16 orderclass; /* order rather than object class; 0 => not yet init'd */
-    xint16 subclass; /* subclass for some classes */
-    xint16 disco; /* discovery status */
+    /* these need to be signed; 'indx' should be big enough to hold a count
+       of the largest pile of items, the others would fit within char */
+    int indx;       /* index into original list (used as tie-breaker) */
+    int orderclass; /* order rather than object class; 0 => not yet init'd */
+    int subclass;   /* subclass for some classes */
+    int disco;      /* discovery status */
 };
 typedef struct sortloot_item Loot;
 
 typedef struct strbuf {
     int    len;
-    char * str;
+    char  *str;
     char   buf[256];
 } strbuf_t;
 
diff --git a/src/invent.c b/src/invent.c
index 7b3c29074..0998438ac 100644
--- a/src/invent.c
+++ b/src/invent.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ loot_classify(Loot *sort_item, struct obj *obj)
         k = 1 + (int) (p - classorder);
     else
         k = 1 + (int) strlen(classorder) + (oclass != VENOM_CLASS);
-    sort_item->orderclass = (coordxy) k;
+    sort_item->orderclass = k;
     /* subclass designation; only a few classes have subclasses
        and the non-armor ones we use are fairly arbitrary */
     switch (oclass) {
@@ -210,13 +210,13 @@ loot_classify(Loot *sort_item, struct obj *obj)
         k = 1; /* any non-zero would do */
         break;
     }
-    sort_item->subclass = (coordxy) k;
+    sort_item->subclass = k;
     /* discovery status */
     k = !seen ? 1 /* unseen */
         : (discovered || !OBJ_DESCR(objects[otyp])) ? 4
           : (objects[otyp].oc_uname) ? 3 /* named (partially discovered) */
             : 2; /* undiscovered */
-    sort_item->disco = (coordxy) k;
+    sort_item->disco = k;
 }
 
 /* sortloot() formatting routine; for alphabetizing, not shown to user */