diff --git a/include/hlfmt.h b/include/hlfmt.h
index 9ee44d249..05d94d76e 100644
--- a/include/hlfmt.h
+++ b/include/hlfmt.h
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 
 const char *strhlfmt (const u32 hashfile_format);
 
-void hlfmt_hash (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, size_t *hashbuf_len);
-void hlfmt_user (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **userbuf_pos, size_t *userbuf_len);
+void hlfmt_hash (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, int *hashbuf_len);
+void hlfmt_user (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **userbuf_pos, int *userbuf_len);
 
 u32 hlfmt_detect (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, FILE *fp, u32 max_check);
 
diff --git a/src/hlfmt.c b/src/hlfmt.c
index 43a0e03bb..6452fa43f 100644
--- a/src/hlfmt.c
+++ b/src/hlfmt.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ static const char *HLFMT_TEXT_NSLDAPS  = "nsldaps";
 
 // hlfmt hashcat
 
-static void hlfmt_hash_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, size_t *hashbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_hash_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, int *hashbuf_len)
 {
   const user_options_t *user_options = hashcat_ctx->user_options;
   const hashconfig_t   *hashconfig   = hashcat_ctx->hashconfig;
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static void hlfmt_hash_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *l
     char  *pos = line_buf;
     size_t len = line_len;
 
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++, pos++, len--)
+    for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++, pos++, len--)
     {
       if (line_buf[i] == hashconfig->separator)
       {
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static void hlfmt_hash_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *l
   }
 }
 
-static void hlfmt_user_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **userbuf_pos, size_t *userbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_user_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **userbuf_pos, int *userbuf_len)
 {
   const hashconfig_t *hashconfig = hashcat_ctx->hashconfig;
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ static void hlfmt_user_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *l
 
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == hashconfig->separator)
     {
@@ -86,14 +86,14 @@ static void hlfmt_user_hashcat (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *l
 
 // hlfmt pwdump
 
-static int hlfmt_detect_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *line_buf, size_t line_len)
+static int hlfmt_detect_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *line_buf, const int line_len)
 {
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
   int sep2_len = 0;
   int sep3_len = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == ':')
     {
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ static int hlfmt_detect_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const c
   return 0;
 }
 
-static void hlfmt_hash_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, size_t *hashbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_hash_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, int *hashbuf_len)
 {
   const hashconfig_t *hashconfig = hashcat_ctx->hashconfig;
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ static void hlfmt_hash_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *li
 
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == ':')
     {
@@ -153,14 +153,14 @@ static void hlfmt_hash_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *li
   *hashbuf_len = len;
 }
 
-static void hlfmt_user_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **userbuf_pos, size_t *userbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_user_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **userbuf_pos, int *userbuf_len)
 {
   char  *pos = NULL;
   size_t len = 0;
 
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == ':')
     {
@@ -183,14 +183,14 @@ static void hlfmt_user_pwdump (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *li
 
 // hlfmt passwd
 
-static int hlfmt_detect_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *line_buf, size_t line_len)
+static int hlfmt_detect_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *line_buf, const int line_len)
 {
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
   char sep5_first = 0;
   char sep6_first = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == ':')
     {
@@ -208,14 +208,14 @@ static int hlfmt_detect_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const c
   return 0;
 }
 
-static void hlfmt_hash_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, size_t *hashbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_hash_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, int *hashbuf_len)
 {
   char  *pos = NULL;
   size_t len = 0;
 
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == ':')
     {
@@ -236,14 +236,14 @@ static void hlfmt_hash_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *li
   *hashbuf_len = len;
 }
 
-static void hlfmt_user_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **userbuf_pos, size_t *userbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_user_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **userbuf_pos, int *userbuf_len)
 {
   char  *pos = NULL;
   size_t len = 0;
 
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == ':')
     {
@@ -266,11 +266,11 @@ static void hlfmt_user_passwd (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *li
 
 // hlfmt shadow
 
-static int hlfmt_detect_shadow (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *line_buf, size_t line_len)
+static int hlfmt_detect_shadow (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const char *line_buf, const int line_len)
 {
   int sep_cnt = 0;
 
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
+  for (int i = 0; i < line_len; i++)
   {
     if (line_buf[i] == ':') sep_cnt++;
   }
@@ -280,12 +280,12 @@ static int hlfmt_detect_shadow (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, const c
   return 0;
 }
 
-static void hlfmt_hash_shadow (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, size_t *hashbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_hash_shadow (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, int *hashbuf_len)
 {
   hlfmt_hash_passwd (hashcat_ctx, line_buf, line_len, hashbuf_pos, hashbuf_len);
 }
 
-static void hlfmt_user_shadow (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **userbuf_pos, size_t *userbuf_len)
+static void hlfmt_user_shadow (MAYBE_UNUSED hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **userbuf_pos, int *userbuf_len)
 {
   hlfmt_user_passwd (hashcat_ctx, line_buf, line_len, userbuf_pos, userbuf_len);
 }
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ const char *strhlfmt (const u32 hashfile_format)
   return "Unknown";
 }
 
-void hlfmt_hash (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, size_t *hashbuf_len)
+void hlfmt_hash (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **hashbuf_pos, int *hashbuf_len)
 {
   switch (hashfile_format)
   {
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ void hlfmt_hash (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf
   }
 }
 
-void hlfmt_user (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, size_t line_len, char **userbuf_pos, size_t *userbuf_len)
+void hlfmt_user (hashcat_ctx_t *hashcat_ctx, u32 hashfile_format, char *line_buf, const int line_len, char **userbuf_pos, int *userbuf_len)
 {
   switch (hashfile_format)
   {