diff --git a/lib/std/os.zig b/lib/std/os.zig
index d82c1da3d0..497dd0f8dd 100644
--- a/lib/std/os.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os.zig
@@ -4905,7 +4905,7 @@ pub fn tcsetattr(handle: fd_t, optional_action: TCSA, termios_p: termios) Termio
     }
 }
 
-pub fn ioctl(handle: fd_t, request: u32, arg: var) !void {
+pub fn ioctl(handle: fd_t, request: i32, arg: var) !void {
     switch (errno(system.ioctl(handle, request, arg))) {
         0 => {},
         EINVAL => unreachable,
diff --git a/lib/std/os/linux.zig b/lib/std/os/linux.zig
index b7ba8f3636..08739dc1d9 100644
--- a/lib/std/os/linux.zig
+++ b/lib/std/os/linux.zig
@@ -1193,8 +1193,8 @@ pub fn tcsetattr(fd: fd_t, optional_action: TCSA, termios_p: *const termios) usi
     return ioctl(fd, TCSETS + @enumToInt(optional_action), @ptrToInt(termios_p));
 }
 
-pub fn ioctl(fd: fd_t, request: u32, arg: var) usize {
-    return syscall3(.ioctl, @bitCast(usize, @as(isize, fd)), request, arg);
+pub fn ioctl(fd: fd_t, request: i32, arg: var) usize {
+    return syscall3(.ioctl, @bitCast(usize, @as(isize, fd)), @bitCast(usize, @as(isize, request)), arg);
 }
 
 test "" {