diff --git a/args.c b/args.c
index bd1ede038..5483f395c 100644
--- a/args.c
+++ b/args.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <limits.h>
 #include "args.h"
 
+#include "vpx/vpx_integer.h"
 #include "vpx_ports/msvc.h"
 
 #if defined(__GNUC__) && __GNUC__
@@ -118,13 +119,13 @@ void arg_show_usage(FILE *fp, const struct arg_def *const *defs) {
 }
 
 unsigned int arg_parse_uint(const struct arg *arg) {
-  long int rawval;
+  uint32_t rawval;
   char *endptr;
 
-  rawval = strtol(arg->val, &endptr, 10);
+  rawval = strtoul(arg->val, &endptr, 10);
 
   if (arg->val[0] != '\0' && endptr[0] == '\0') {
-    if (rawval >= 0 && rawval <= UINT_MAX) return (unsigned int)rawval;
+    if (rawval <= UINT_MAX) return rawval;
 
     die("Option %s: Value %ld out of range for unsigned int\n", arg->name,
         rawval);
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ unsigned int arg_parse_uint(const struct arg *arg) {
 }
 
 int arg_parse_int(const struct arg *arg) {
-  long int rawval;
+  int32_t rawval;
   char *endptr;
 
   rawval = strtol(arg->val, &endptr, 10);
diff --git a/examples/vp9cx_set_ref.c b/examples/vp9cx_set_ref.c
index 798d7e3f2..3472689db 100644
--- a/examples/vp9cx_set_ref.c
+++ b/examples/vp9cx_set_ref.c
@@ -304,6 +304,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   const char *height_arg = NULL;
   const char *infile_arg = NULL;
   const char *outfile_arg = NULL;
+  const char *update_frame_num_arg = NULL;
   unsigned int limit = 0;
 
   vp9_zero(ecodec);
@@ -318,18 +319,21 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   height_arg = argv[2];
   infile_arg = argv[3];
   outfile_arg = argv[4];
+  update_frame_num_arg = argv[5];
 
   encoder = get_vpx_encoder_by_name("vp9");
   if (!encoder) die("Unsupported codec.");
 
-  update_frame_num = atoi(argv[5]);
+  update_frame_num = (unsigned int)strtoul(update_frame_num_arg, NULL, 0);
   // In VP9, the reference buffers (cm->buffer_pool->frame_bufs[i].buf) are
   // allocated while calling vpx_codec_encode(), thus, setting reference for
   // 1st frame isn't supported.
-  if (update_frame_num <= 1) die("Couldn't parse frame number '%s'\n", argv[5]);
+  if (update_frame_num <= 1) {
+    die("Couldn't parse frame number '%s'\n", update_frame_num_arg);
+  }
 
   if (argc > 6) {
-    limit = atoi(argv[6]);
+    limit = (unsigned int)strtoul(argv[6], NULL, 0);
     if (update_frame_num > limit)
       die("Update frame number couldn't larger than limit\n");
   }