diff --git a/components/nif/data.cpp b/components/nif/data.cpp
index 3a06e4006..fc0631b84 100644
--- a/components/nif/data.cpp
+++ b/components/nif/data.cpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ void NiTriShapeData::read(NIFStream *nif)
     // We have three times as many vertices as triangles, so this
     // is always equal to tris*3.
     int cnt = nif->getInt();
-    nif->getShorts(triangles, cnt);
+    nif->getUShorts(triangles, cnt);
 
     // Read the match list, which lists the vertices that are equal to
     // vertices. We don't actually need need this for anything, so
diff --git a/components/nif/data.hpp b/components/nif/data.hpp
index 1b4d02f26..63dc42ade 100644
--- a/components/nif/data.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/data.hpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ class NiTriShapeData : public ShapeData
 {
 public:
     // Triangles, three vertex indices per triangle
-    std::vector<short> triangles;
+    std::vector<unsigned short> triangles;
 
     void read(NIFStream *nif);
 };
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class NiSkinData : public Record
 public:
     struct VertWeight
     {
-        short vertex;
+        unsigned short vertex;
         float weight;
     };
 
diff --git a/components/nif/nifstream.cpp b/components/nif/nifstream.cpp
index 628541933..d0fc9bab0 100644
--- a/components/nif/nifstream.cpp
+++ b/components/nif/nifstream.cpp
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ std::string NIFStream::getVersionString()
     return result;
 }
 
-void NIFStream::getShorts(std::vector<short> &vec, size_t size)
+void NIFStream::getUShorts(std::vector<unsigned short> &vec, size_t size)
 {
     vec.resize(size);
     for(size_t i = 0;i < vec.size();i++)
-        vec[i] = getShort();
+        vec[i] = getUShort();
 }
 void NIFStream::getFloats(std::vector<float> &vec, size_t size)
 {
diff --git a/components/nif/nifstream.hpp b/components/nif/nifstream.hpp
index b732c83af..45733f48f 100644
--- a/components/nif/nifstream.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/nifstream.hpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public:
     ///This is special since the version string doesn't start with a number, and ends with "\n"
     std::string getVersionString();
 
-    void getShorts(std::vector<short> &vec, size_t size);
+    void getUShorts(std::vector<unsigned short> &vec, size_t size);
     void getFloats(std::vector<float> &vec, size_t size);
     void getVector2s(std::vector<osg::Vec2f> &vec, size_t size);
     void getVector3s(std::vector<osg::Vec3f> &vec, size_t size);
diff --git a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
index b28412cb6..f7f6af0ae 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/nifloader.cpp
@@ -1146,7 +1146,7 @@ namespace NifOsg
                 //influence.mWeights.reserve(weights.size());
                 for(size_t j = 0;j < weights.size();j++)
                 {
-                    std::pair<short, float> indexWeight = std::make_pair(weights[j].vertex, weights[j].weight);
+                    std::pair<unsigned short, float> indexWeight = std::make_pair(weights[j].vertex, weights[j].weight);
                     influence.mWeights.insert(indexWeight);
                 }
                 influence.mInvBindMatrix = toMatrix(data->bones[i].trafo);
diff --git a/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.cpp b/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.cpp
index 00f80c829..4d4ea22d2 100644
--- a/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.cpp
+++ b/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.cpp
@@ -172,9 +172,9 @@ void RigGeometry::update(osg::NodeVisitor* nv)
 
         osg::Matrixf finalMatrix = bi.mInvBindMatrix * bone->mMatrixInSkeletonSpace * geomToSkel;
 
-        for (std::map<short, float>::const_iterator weightIt = bi.mWeights.begin(); weightIt != bi.mWeights.end(); ++weightIt)
+        for (std::map<unsigned short, float>::const_iterator weightIt = bi.mWeights.begin(); weightIt != bi.mWeights.end(); ++weightIt)
         {
-            short vertex = weightIt->first;
+            unsigned short vertex = weightIt->first;
             float weight = weightIt->second;
 
             osg::Vec3f a = (*positionSrc)[vertex];
diff --git a/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.hpp b/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.hpp
index 70f2c6e7d..c77ff7c72 100644
--- a/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.hpp
+++ b/components/sceneutil/riggeometry.hpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace SceneUtil
         {
             osg::Matrixf mInvBindMatrix;
             // <vertex index, weight>
-            std::map<short, float> mWeights;
+            std::map<unsigned short, float> mWeights;
         };
 
         struct InfluenceMap : public osg::Referenced