diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index 6dbd12d6..5fe22333 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -2737,6 +2737,17 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR const Char* next_code_point(const Char* begin, const Char* end) {
   return begin;
 }
 
+// Converts a character to the underlying integral type.
+template <typename Char, FMT_ENABLE_IF(std::is_integral<Char>::value)>
+constexpr Char to_integral(Char value) {
+  return value;
+}
+
+template <typename Char, FMT_ENABLE_IF(std::is_enum<Char>::value)>
+constexpr typename std::underlying_type<Char>::type to_integral(Char value) {
+  return value;
+}
+
 // Parses fill and alignment.
 template <typename Char, typename Handler>
 FMT_CONSTEXPR const Char* parse_align(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
@@ -2746,7 +2757,7 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR const Char* parse_align(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
   auto p = next_code_point(begin, end);
   if (p == end) p = begin;
   for (;;) {
-    switch (static_cast<int>(*p)) {
+    switch (to_integral(*p)) {
     case '<':
       align = align::left;
       break;
@@ -2831,7 +2842,7 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR const Char* parse_format_specs(const Char* begin, const Char* end,
   if (begin == end) return begin;
 
   // Parse sign.
-  switch (static_cast<char>(*begin)) {
+  switch (to_integral(*begin)) {
   case '+':
     handler.on_plus();
     ++begin;
@@ -2908,7 +2919,7 @@ FMT_CONSTEXPR const Char* parse_replacement_field(const Char* begin,
                                                   Handler&& handler) {
   ++begin;
   if (begin == end) return handler.on_error("invalid format string"), end;
-  if (static_cast<char>(*begin) == '}') {
+  if (*begin == '}') {
     handler.on_replacement_field(handler.on_arg_id(), begin);
   } else if (*begin == '{') {
     handler.on_text(begin, begin + 1);
diff --git a/test/format-test.cc b/test/format-test.cc
index a3c925b0..027c50a0 100644
--- a/test/format-test.cc
+++ b/test/format-test.cc
@@ -719,6 +719,17 @@ TEST(FormatterTest, SpaceSign) {
                    "format specifier requires numeric argument");
 }
 
+TEST(FormatterTest, SignNotTruncated) {
+  wchar_t format_str[] = {
+    L'{',
+    L':',
+    '+' | (1 << fmt::detail::num_bits<char>()),
+    L'}',
+    0
+  };
+  EXPECT_THROW(format(format_str, 42), format_error);
+}
+
 TEST(FormatterTest, HashFlag) {
   EXPECT_EQ("42", format("{0:#}", 42));
   EXPECT_EQ("-42", format("{0:#}", -42));
@@ -2462,24 +2473,26 @@ TEST(FormatTest, CharTraitsIsNotAmbiguous) {
 #endif
 }
 
-struct mychar {
+struct custom_char {
   int value;
-  mychar() = default;
+  custom_char() = default;
 
-  template <typename T> mychar(T val) : value(static_cast<int>(val)) {}
+  template <typename T> custom_char(T val) : value(static_cast<int>(val)) {}
 
   operator int() const { return value; }
 };
 
+int to_integral(custom_char c) { return c; }
+
 FMT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
-template <> struct is_char<mychar> : std::true_type {};
+template <> struct is_char<custom_char> : std::true_type {};
 FMT_END_NAMESPACE
 
 TEST(FormatTest, FormatCustomChar) {
-  const mychar format[] = {'{', '}', 0};
-  auto result = fmt::format(format, mychar('x'));
+  const custom_char format[] = {'{', '}', 0};
+  auto result = fmt::format(format, custom_char('x'));
   EXPECT_EQ(result.size(), 1);
-  EXPECT_EQ(result[0], mychar('x'));
+  EXPECT_EQ(result[0], custom_char('x'));
 }
 
 // Convert a char8_t string to std::string. Otherwise GTest will insist on