diff --git a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
index 810b138f5897..c82d9fd2f05a 100644
--- a/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
+++ b/drivers/char/ipmi/ipmi_msghandler.c
@@ -4030,7 +4030,8 @@ smi_from_recv_msg(ipmi_smi_t intf, struct ipmi_recv_msg *recv_msg,
 }
 
 static void check_msg_timeout(ipmi_smi_t intf, struct seq_table *ent,
-			      struct list_head *timeouts, long timeout_period,
+			      struct list_head *timeouts,
+			      unsigned long timeout_period,
 			      int slot, unsigned long *flags,
 			      unsigned int *waiting_msgs)
 {
@@ -4043,8 +4044,8 @@ static void check_msg_timeout(ipmi_smi_t intf, struct seq_table *ent,
 	if (!ent->inuse)
 		return;
 
-	ent->timeout -= timeout_period;
-	if (ent->timeout > 0) {
+	if (timeout_period < ent->timeout) {
+		ent->timeout -= timeout_period;
 		(*waiting_msgs)++;
 		return;
 	}
@@ -4110,7 +4111,8 @@ static void check_msg_timeout(ipmi_smi_t intf, struct seq_table *ent,
 	}
 }
 
-static unsigned int ipmi_timeout_handler(ipmi_smi_t intf, long timeout_period)
+static unsigned int ipmi_timeout_handler(ipmi_smi_t intf,
+					 unsigned long timeout_period)
 {
 	struct list_head     timeouts;
 	struct ipmi_recv_msg *msg, *msg2;