diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index 3395f63aba..74a167a180 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -1710,17 +1710,14 @@ static void pbase_tree_put(struct pbase_tree_cache *cache)
 	free(cache);
 }
 
-static int name_cmp_len(const char *name)
+static size_t name_cmp_len(const char *name)
 {
-	int i;
-	for (i = 0; name[i] && name[i] != '\n' && name[i] != '/'; i++)
-		;
-	return i;
+	return strcspn(name, "\n/");
 }
 
 static void add_pbase_object(struct tree_desc *tree,
 			     const char *name,
-			     int cmplen,
+			     size_t cmplen,
 			     const char *fullname)
 {
 	struct name_entry entry;
@@ -1745,7 +1742,7 @@ static void add_pbase_object(struct tree_desc *tree,
 			struct tree_desc sub;
 			struct pbase_tree_cache *tree;
 			const char *down = name+cmplen+1;
-			int downlen = name_cmp_len(down);
+			size_t downlen = name_cmp_len(down);
 
 			tree = pbase_tree_get(&entry.oid);
 			if (!tree)
@@ -1797,7 +1794,7 @@ static int check_pbase_path(unsigned hash)
 static void add_preferred_base_object(const char *name)
 {
 	struct pbase_tree *it;
-	int cmplen;
+	size_t cmplen;
 	unsigned hash = pack_name_hash(name);
 
 	if (!num_preferred_base || check_pbase_path(hash))
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 4bf14e0bd9..52d017335e 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1623,8 +1623,10 @@ int repo_interpret_branch_name(struct repository *r,
 
 int validate_headref(const char *ref);
 
-int base_name_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int mode1, const char *name2, int len2, int mode2);
-int df_name_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int mode1, const char *name2, int len2, int mode2);
+int base_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		      const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2);
+int df_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		    const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2);
 int name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, const char *name2, size_t len2);
 int cache_name_stage_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int stage1, const char *name2, int len2, int stage2);
 
diff --git a/read-cache.c b/read-cache.c
index 7bd12afb38..35e5657877 100644
--- a/read-cache.c
+++ b/read-cache.c
@@ -488,11 +488,11 @@ int ie_modified(struct index_state *istate,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int base_name_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int mode1,
-		      const char *name2, int len2, int mode2)
+int base_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		      const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2)
 {
 	unsigned char c1, c2;
-	int len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2;
+	size_t len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2;
 	int cmp;
 
 	cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, len);
@@ -517,11 +517,12 @@ int base_name_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int mode1,
  * This is used by routines that want to traverse the git namespace
  * but then handle conflicting entries together when possible.
  */
-int df_name_compare(const char *name1, int len1, int mode1,
-		    const char *name2, int len2, int mode2)
+int df_name_compare(const char *name1, size_t len1, int mode1,
+		    const char *name2, size_t len2, int mode2)
 {
-	int len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2, cmp;
 	unsigned char c1, c2;
+	size_t len = len1 < len2 ? len1 : len2;
+	int cmp;
 
 	cmp = memcmp(name1, name2, len);
 	if (cmp)