diff --git a/include/linux/kernel.h b/include/linux/kernel.h
index d0fbc043de60..57dac7022b63 100644
--- a/include/linux/kernel.h
+++ b/include/linux/kernel.h
@@ -143,9 +143,22 @@ extern int _cond_resched(void);
 
 #define might_sleep_if(cond) do { if (cond) might_sleep(); } while (0)
 
-#define abs(x) ({				\
-		long __x = (x);			\
-		(__x < 0) ? -__x : __x;		\
+/*
+ * abs() handles unsigned and signed longs, ints, shorts and chars.  For all
+ * input types abs() returns a signed long.
+ * abs() should not be used for 64-bit types (s64, u64, long long) - use abs64()
+ * for those.
+ */
+#define abs(x) ({						\
+		long ret;					\
+		if (sizeof(x) == sizeof(long)) {		\
+			long __x = (x);				\
+			ret = (__x < 0) ? -__x : __x;		\
+		} else {					\
+			int __x = (x);				\
+			ret = (__x < 0) ? -__x : __x;		\
+		}						\
+		ret;						\
 	})
 
 #define abs64(x) ({				\