diff --git a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbBase.h b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbBase.h
index 6ef2d2b3c..691953442 100644
--- a/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbBase.h
+++ b/src/ioc/dbStatic/dbBase.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ typedef struct dbFldDes{  /* field description */
     /*On no runtime following only set for STRING			*/
     short	size;		/*length in bytes of a field element	*/
     /*The following are only available on run time system*/
-    short	offset;		/*Offset in bytes from beginning of record*/
+    unsigned short	offset;		/*Offset in bytes from beginning of record*/
 }dbFldDes;
 
 typedef struct dbInfoNode {	/*non-field per-record information*/
diff --git a/src/tools/dbdToRecordtypeH.pl b/src/tools/dbdToRecordtypeH.pl
index ea55d27b4..d4140cc87 100755
--- a/src/tools/dbdToRecordtypeH.pl
+++ b/src/tools/dbdToRecordtypeH.pl
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ sub oldtables {
                 "sizeof(prec->" . $_->C_name . ");"
             } $rtyp->fields) . "\n" .
         join("\n", map {
-                "    prt->papFldDes[${rn}Record" . $_->name . "]->offset = " .
-                "(char *)&prec->" . $_->C_name . " - (char *)prec;"
+                "    prt->papFldDes[${rn}Record" . $_->name . "]->offset = (unsigned short)(" .
+                "(char *)&prec->" . $_->C_name . " - (char *)prec);"
             } $rtyp->fields) . "\n" .
         "    prt->rec_size = sizeof(*prec);\n" .
         "    return 0;\n" .