diff --git a/content.c b/content.c
index 4798c2b9b3..63637ec9c4 100644
--- a/content.c
+++ b/content.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 #endif
 
 static bool apply_patch_content(uint8_t **buf,
-      size_t *size, const char *patch_desc, const char *patch_path,
+      ssize_t *size, const char *patch_desc, const char *patch_path,
       patch_func_t func)
 {
    void *patch_data = NULL;
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ static bool apply_patch_content(uint8_t **buf,
    uint8_t *patched_content = NULL;
    ssize_t ret_size = *size;
    uint8_t *ret_buf = *buf;
-   size_t patch_size;
+   ssize_t patch_size;
    
    if (!read_file(patch_desc, &patch_data, &patch_size))
       return false;
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ error:
    return false;
 }
 
-static bool try_bps_patch(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
+static bool try_bps_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
    bool allow_bps = !g_extern.ups_pref && !g_extern.ips_pref;
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ static bool try_bps_patch(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
          bps_apply_patch);
 }
 
-static bool try_ups_patch(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
+static bool try_ups_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
    bool allow_ups = !g_extern.bps_pref && !g_extern.ips_pref;
 
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ static bool try_ups_patch(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
          ups_apply_patch);
 }
 
-static bool try_ips_patch(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
+static bool try_ips_patch(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
    bool allow_ips = !g_extern.ups_pref && !g_extern.bps_pref;
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ static bool try_ips_patch(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
  * Apply patch to the content file in-memory.
  *
  **/
-static void patch_content(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
+static void patch_content(uint8_t **buf, ssize_t *size)
 {
    if (g_extern.ups_pref + g_extern.bps_pref + g_extern.ips_pref > 1)
    {
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ static void patch_content(uint8_t **buf, size_t *size)
  * Returns: true if successful, false on error.
  **/
 static bool read_content_file(const char *path, void **buf,
-      size_t *length)
+      ssize_t *length)
 {
    uint8_t *ret_buf = NULL;
 
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ bool load_state(const char *path)
    bool ret = true;
    void *buf = NULL;
    struct sram_block *blocks = NULL;
-   size_t size;
+   ssize_t size;
 
    ret = read_file(path, &buf, &size);
 
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ bool load_state(const char *path)
  */
 void load_ram_file(const char *path, int type)
 {
-   size_t rc;
+   ssize_t rc;
    bool ret = false;
    void *buf   = NULL;
    size_t size = pretro_get_memory_size(type);
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ static bool load_content(const struct retro_subsystem_info *special,
 
       if (!need_fullpath && *path)
       {
-         size_t len;
+         ssize_t len;
          /* Load the content into memory. */
 
          /* First content file is significant, attempt to do patching,
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ static bool load_content(const struct retro_subsystem_info *special,
             if (need_fullpath && path_contains_compressed_file(path))
             {
                bool ret = false;
-               size_t len;
+               ssize_t len;
                char new_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH], new_basedir[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
                union string_list_elem_attr attributes;
 
diff --git a/database_info.c b/database_info.c
index 03d390bf4a..c56cd20e37 100644
--- a/database_info.c
+++ b/database_info.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ int database_info_write_rdl(const char *dir)
       else
 #endif
       {
-         size_t ret;
+         ssize_t ret;
          uint32_t crc, target_crc = 0;
          uint8_t *ret_buf = NULL;
          bool read_from = false;
diff --git a/file_extract.c b/file_extract.c
index e10d40bf97..fa9c9a9b7a 100644
--- a/file_extract.c
+++ b/file_extract.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ static size_t zlib_file_size(void *handle)
 
 static void *zlib_file_open(const char *path)
 {
-   size_t ret = -1;
+   ssize_t ret = -1;
    bool read_from_file = false;
    zlib_file_data_t *data = (zlib_file_data_t*)calloc(1, sizeof(*data));
 
diff --git a/file_ops.c b/file_ops.c
index d41d813e3d..5bbc3a72dd 100644
--- a/file_ops.c
+++ b/file_ops.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
  *
  * Returns: true (1) on success, false (0) otherwise.
  */
-bool write_file(const char *path, const void *data, size_t size)
+bool write_file(const char *path, const void *data, ssize_t size)
 {
    bool ret = false;
    FILE *file = fopen(path, "wb");
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ bool write_file(const char *path, const void *data, size_t size)
  *
  * Returns: number of items read, -1 on error.
  */
-static bool read_generic_file(const char *path, void **buf, size_t *len)
+static bool read_generic_file(const char *path, void **buf, ssize_t *len)
 {
    long ret = 0, _len = 0;
    void *rom_buf = NULL;
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ error:
  * Then extracts to optional_filename and leaves buf alone.
  */
 bool read_compressed_file(const char * path, void **buf,
-      const char* optional_filename, size_t *length)
+      const char* optional_filename, ssize_t *length)
 {
    const char* file_ext;
    char archive_path[PATH_MAX_LENGTH], *archive_found = NULL;
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ bool read_compressed_file(const char * path, void **buf,
  *
  * Returns: true if file read, false on error.
  */
-bool read_file(const char *path, void **buf, size_t *length)
+bool read_file(const char *path, void **buf, ssize_t *length)
 {
 #ifdef HAVE_COMPRESSION
    /* Here we check, whether the file, we are about to read is
diff --git a/file_ops.h b/file_ops.h
index 845d4a04ac..50dcfa0641 100644
--- a/file_ops.h
+++ b/file_ops.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ extern "C" {
  * Then extracts to optional_filename and leaves buf alone.
  */
 bool read_compressed_file(const char * path, void **buf,
-      const char* optional_filename, size_t *length);
+      const char* optional_filename, ssize_t *length);
 #endif
 
 /**
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ bool read_compressed_file(const char * path, void **buf,
  *
  * Returns: true if file read, false on error.
  */
-bool read_file(const char *path, void **buf, size_t *length);
+bool read_file(const char *path, void **buf, ssize_t *length);
 
 /**
  * write_file:
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ bool read_file(const char *path, void **buf, size_t *length);
  *
  * Returns: true (1) on success, false (0) otherwise.
  */
-bool write_file(const char *path, const void *buf, size_t size);
+bool write_file(const char *path, const void *buf, ssize_t size);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/gfx/drivers_shader/shader_glsl.c b/gfx/drivers_shader/shader_glsl.c
index 4d084cba42..bf9061d568 100644
--- a/gfx/drivers_shader/shader_glsl.c
+++ b/gfx/drivers_shader/shader_glsl.c
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ static GLuint compile_program(glsl_shader_data_t *glsl,
 static bool load_source_path(struct video_shader_pass *pass,
       const char *path)
 {
-   size_t len;
+   ssize_t len;
    bool ret = read_file(path, (void**)&pass->source.string.vertex, &len);
    if (!ret || len <= 0)
       return false;
diff --git a/gfx/image/image_rpng.c b/gfx/image/image_rpng.c
index c05c49d21b..160574b2a9 100644
--- a/gfx/image/image_rpng.c
+++ b/gfx/image/image_rpng.c
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ bool texture_image_load(struct texture_image *out_img, const char *path)
    {
       void *raw_buf = NULL;
       uint8_t *buf = NULL;
-      size_t len;
+      ssize_t len;
       bool ret = read_file(path, &raw_buf, &len);
 
       if (!ret || len < 0)
diff --git a/gfx/video_state_python.c b/gfx/video_state_python.c
index 4494bc8325..9c8fb6d429 100644
--- a/gfx/video_state_python.c
+++ b/gfx/video_state_python.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ py_state_t *py_state_new(const char *script,
        * compiled with MSVC. */
 
       char *script_ = NULL;
-      size_t len;
+      ssize_t len;
       bool ret = read_file(script, (void**)&script_, &len);
       if (!ret || len < 0)
       {