diff --git a/include/mbedtls/bignum.h b/include/mbedtls/bignum.h
index e7f3131740..eb372cf1fd 100644
--- a/include/mbedtls/bignum.h
+++ b/include/mbedtls/bignum.h
@@ -203,6 +203,12 @@ extern "C" {
  * \brief          MPI structure
  */
 typedef struct mbedtls_mpi {
+    /** Pointer to limbs.
+     *
+     * This may be \c NULL if \c n is 0.
+     */
+    mbedtls_mpi_uint *MBEDTLS_PRIVATE(p);
+
     /** Sign: -1 if the mpi is negative, 1 otherwise.
      *
      * The number 0 must be represented with `s = +1`. Although many library
@@ -214,16 +220,19 @@ typedef struct mbedtls_mpi {
      * Note that this implies that calloc() or `... = {0}` does not create
      * a valid MPI representation. You must call mbedtls_mpi_init().
      */
-    int MBEDTLS_PRIVATE(s);
+    signed short MBEDTLS_PRIVATE(s);
 
     /** Total number of limbs in \c p.  */
-    size_t MBEDTLS_PRIVATE(n);
-
-    /** Pointer to limbs.
-     *
-     * This may be \c NULL if \c n is 0.
+    unsigned short MBEDTLS_PRIVATE(n);
+    /* Make sure that MBEDTLS_MPI_MAX_LIMBS fits in n.
+     * Use the same limit value on all platforms so that we don't have to
+     * think about different behavior on the rare platforms where
+     * unsigned short can store values larger than the minimum required by
+     * the C language, which is 65535.
      */
-    mbedtls_mpi_uint *MBEDTLS_PRIVATE(p);
+#if MBEDTLS_MPI_MAX_LIMBS > 65535
+#error "MBEDTLS_MPI_MAX_LIMBS > 65535 is not supported"
+#endif
 }
 mbedtls_mpi;
 
diff --git a/library/bignum.c b/library/bignum.c
index 36effaf8da..5b9293293e 100644
--- a/library/bignum.c
+++ b/library/bignum.c
@@ -114,7 +114,9 @@ int mbedtls_mpi_grow(mbedtls_mpi *X, size_t nblimbs)
             mbedtls_free(X->p);
         }
 
-        X->n = nblimbs;
+        /* nblimbs fits in n because we ensure that MBEDTLS_MPI_MAX_LIMBS
+         * fits, and we've checked that nblimbs <= MBEDTLS_MPI_MAX_LIMBS. */
+        X->n = (unsigned short) nblimbs;
         X->p = p;
     }
 
@@ -162,7 +164,9 @@ int mbedtls_mpi_shrink(mbedtls_mpi *X, size_t nblimbs)
         mbedtls_free(X->p);
     }
 
-    X->n = i;
+    /* i fits in n because we ensure that MBEDTLS_MPI_MAX_LIMBS
+     * fits, and we've checked that i <= nblimbs <= MBEDTLS_MPI_MAX_LIMBS. */
+    X->n = (unsigned short) i;
     X->p = p;
 
     return 0;
@@ -1574,8 +1578,8 @@ static void mpi_montred(mbedtls_mpi *A, const mbedtls_mpi *N,
 {
     mbedtls_mpi_uint z = 1;
     mbedtls_mpi U;
-
-    U.n = U.s = (int) z;
+    U.n = 1;
+    U.s = 1;
     U.p = &z;
 
     mpi_montmul(A, &U, N, mm, T);
diff --git a/library/ecp.c b/library/ecp.c
index b13cac0393..049a1e0151 100644
--- a/library/ecp.c
+++ b/library/ecp.c
@@ -2932,9 +2932,9 @@ int mbedtls_ecp_muladd(mbedtls_ecp_group *grp, mbedtls_ecp_point *R,
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_ECP_MONTGOMERY_ENABLED)
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_ECP_DP_CURVE25519_ENABLED)
-#define ECP_MPI_INIT(s, n, p) { s, (n), (mbedtls_mpi_uint *) (p) }
+#define ECP_MPI_INIT(_p, _n) { .p = (mbedtls_mpi_uint *) (_p), .s = 1, .n = (_n) }
 #define ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(x)   \
-    ECP_MPI_INIT(1, sizeof(x) / sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint), x)
+    ECP_MPI_INIT(x, sizeof(x) / sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint))
 /*
  * Constants for the two points other than 0, 1, -1 (mod p) in
  * https://cr.yp.to/ecdh.html#validate
diff --git a/library/ecp_curves.c b/library/ecp_curves.c
index a4fa663a56..3d3ec60f94 100644
--- a/library/ecp_curves.c
+++ b/library/ecp_curves.c
@@ -44,15 +44,15 @@
 #define ECP_VALIDATE(cond)        \
     MBEDTLS_INTERNAL_VALIDATE(cond)
 
-#define ECP_MPI_INIT(s, n, p) { s, (n), (mbedtls_mpi_uint *) (p) }
+#define ECP_MPI_INIT(_p, _n) { .p = (mbedtls_mpi_uint *) (_p), .s = 1, .n = (_n) }
 
 #define ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(x)   \
-    ECP_MPI_INIT(1, sizeof(x) / sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint), x)
+    ECP_MPI_INIT(x, sizeof(x) / sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint))
 
 #define ECP_POINT_INIT_XY_Z0(x, y) { \
-        ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(x), ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(y), ECP_MPI_INIT(1, 0, NULL) }
+        ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(x), ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(y), ECP_MPI_INIT(NULL, 0) }
 #define ECP_POINT_INIT_XY_Z1(x, y) { \
-        ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(x), ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(y), ECP_MPI_INIT(1, 1, mpi_one) }
+        ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(x), ECP_MPI_INIT_ARRAY(y), ECP_MPI_INIT(mpi_one, 1) }
 
 #if defined(MBEDTLS_ECP_DP_SECP192R1_ENABLED) ||   \
     defined(MBEDTLS_ECP_DP_SECP224R1_ENABLED) ||   \
@@ -4512,12 +4512,13 @@ static const mbedtls_ecp_point brainpoolP512r1_T[32] = {
     defined(MBEDTLS_ECP_DP_CURVE448_ENABLED)
 /*
  * Create an MPI from embedded constants
- * (assumes len is an exact multiple of sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint))
+ * (assumes len is an exact multiple of sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint) and
+ * len < 1048576)
  */
 static inline void ecp_mpi_load(mbedtls_mpi *X, const mbedtls_mpi_uint *p, size_t len)
 {
     X->s = 1;
-    X->n = len / sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint);
+    X->n = (unsigned short) (len / sizeof(mbedtls_mpi_uint));
     X->p = (mbedtls_mpi_uint *) p;
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/suites/test_suite_bignum_random.function b/tests/suites/test_suite_bignum_random.function
index e4db3d7acc..34221a796e 100644
--- a/tests/suites/test_suite_bignum_random.function
+++ b/tests/suites/test_suite_bignum_random.function
@@ -312,8 +312,8 @@ void mpi_random_many(int min, char *bound_hex, int iterations)
 
         /* Temporarily use a legacy MPI for analysis, because the
          * necessary auxiliary functions don't exist yet in core. */
-        mbedtls_mpi B = { 1, limbs, upper_bound };
-        mbedtls_mpi R = { 1, limbs, result };
+        mbedtls_mpi B = { .s = 1, .n = limbs, .p = upper_bound };
+        mbedtls_mpi R = { .s = 1, .n = limbs, .p = result };
 
         TEST_ASSERT(mbedtls_mpi_cmp_mpi(&R, &B) < 0);
         TEST_ASSERT(mbedtls_mpi_cmp_int(&R, min) >= 0);