diff --git a/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_ttyio.c b/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_ttyio.c
index 6e0f042f6a44..8ed7c71c712f 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_ttyio.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/speakup/spk_ttyio.c
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ static unsigned char spk_ttyio_in(void)
 
 static unsigned char spk_ttyio_in_nowait(void)
 {
-	char rv = ttyio_in(0);
+	u8 rv = ttyio_in(0);
 
 	return (rv == 0xff) ? 0 : rv;
 }