diff --git a/include/ntfs-3g/dir.h b/include/ntfs-3g/dir.h
index 33e1b2e1..cbf52683 100644
--- a/include/ntfs-3g/dir.h
+++ b/include/ntfs-3g/dir.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ extern ntfs_inode *ntfs_create(ntfs_inode *dir_ni, ntfschar *name, u8 name_len,
 extern ntfs_inode *ntfs_create_device(ntfs_inode *dir_ni,
 		ntfschar *name, u8 name_len, dev_t type, dev_t dev);
 extern ntfs_inode *ntfs_create_symlink(ntfs_inode *dir_ni,
-		ntfschar *name, u8 name_len, ntfschar *target, u8 target_len);
+		ntfschar *name, u8 name_len, ntfschar *target, int target_len);
 extern int ntfs_check_empty_dir(ntfs_inode *ni);
 extern int ntfs_delete(ntfs_inode *ni, ntfs_inode *dir_ni, ntfschar *name,
 		u8 name_len);
diff --git a/libntfs-3g/dir.c b/libntfs-3g/dir.c
index e6440723..affcca26 100644
--- a/libntfs-3g/dir.c
+++ b/libntfs-3g/dir.c
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ err_out:
  */
 static ntfs_inode *__ntfs_create(ntfs_inode *dir_ni,
 		ntfschar *name, u8 name_len, dev_t type, dev_t dev,
-		ntfschar *target, u8 target_len)
+		ntfschar *target, int target_len)
 {
 	ntfs_inode *ni;
 	int rollback_data = 0, rollback_sd = 0;
@@ -1285,7 +1285,7 @@ ntfs_inode *ntfs_create_device(ntfs_inode *dir_ni, ntfschar *name, u8 name_len,
 }
 
 ntfs_inode *ntfs_create_symlink(ntfs_inode *dir_ni, ntfschar *name, u8 name_len,
-		ntfschar *target, u8 target_len)
+		ntfschar *target, int target_len)
 {
 	if (!target || !target_len) {
 		ntfs_log_error("%s: Invalid argument (%p, %d)\n", __FUNCTION__,