diff --git a/src/conio/ansi_cio.c b/src/conio/ansi_cio.c
index f239a446c09c66aba253007776dfbf4288bed972..56a00fc0c3070c5f21df64c51bb6947ac3d06162 100644
--- a/src/conio/ansi_cio.c
+++ b/src/conio/ansi_cio.c
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ int ansi_putch(int ch)
 	struct text_info ti;
 	WORD sch;
 	int i;
-	char buf[2];
+	unsigned char buf[2];
 
 	buf[0]=ch;
 	buf[1]=ansi_curr_attr>>8;