diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/fill_buf.c b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/fill_buf.c
index 635f938b11f0..a85ae8148db8 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/fill_buf.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/resctrl/fill_buf.c
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static unsigned char *alloc_buffer(size_t buf_size, int memflush)
 {
 	void *buf = NULL;
 	uint64_t *p64;
-	size_t s64;
+	ssize_t s64;
 	int ret;
 
 	ret = posix_memalign(&buf, PAGE_SIZE, buf_size);