diff --git a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c
index 68e2f1323003..92369d84c0c8 100644
--- a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c
+++ b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_32.c
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ const sys_call_ptr_t sys_call_table[] = {
 #endif
 
 #define __SYSCALL(nr, sym) case nr: return __ia32_##sym(regs);
+
+/* The unsigned int @nr argument is intentional as it creates denser code in a 64-bit build */
 static noinline long ia32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
 {
 	switch (nr) {
@@ -49,7 +51,7 @@ static noinline long ia32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
 	}
 }
 
-static __always_inline int syscall_32_enter(struct pt_regs *regs)
+static __always_inline long syscall_32_enter(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
 	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_IA32_EMULATION))
 		current_thread_info()->status |= TS_COMPAT;
@@ -70,17 +72,11 @@ early_param("ia32_emulation", ia32_emulation_override_cmdline);
 /*
  * Invoke a 32-bit syscall.  Called with IRQs on in CT_STATE_KERNEL.
  */
-static __always_inline void do_syscall_32_irqs_on(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
+static __always_inline void do_syscall_32_irqs_on(struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned long nr)
 {
-	/*
-	 * Convert negative numbers to very high and thus out of range
-	 * numbers for comparisons.
-	 */
-	unsigned int unr = nr;
-
-	if (likely(unr < IA32_NR_syscalls)) {
-		unr = array_index_nospec(unr, IA32_NR_syscalls);
-		regs->ax = ia32_sys_call(regs, unr);
+	if (likely(nr < IA32_NR_syscalls)) {
+		nr = array_index_nospec(nr, IA32_NR_syscalls);
+		regs->ax = ia32_sys_call(regs, (unsigned int)nr);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -126,7 +122,7 @@ static __always_inline bool int80_is_external(void)
  */
 __visible noinstr void do_int80_emulation(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
-	int nr;
+	long nr;
 
 	/* Kernel does not use INT $0x80! */
 	if (unlikely(!user_mode(regs))) {
@@ -205,7 +201,7 @@ __visible noinstr void do_int80_emulation(struct pt_regs *regs)
  */
 DEFINE_FREDENTRY_RAW(int80_emulation)
 {
-	int nr;
+	long nr;
 
 	enter_from_user_mode_randomize_stack(regs);
 
@@ -240,7 +236,7 @@ DEFINE_FREDENTRY_RAW(int80_emulation)
 /* Handles int $0x80 on a 32bit kernel */
 __visible noinstr void do_int80_syscall_32(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
-	int nr = syscall_32_enter(regs);
+	long nr = syscall_32_enter(regs);
 
 	/*
 	 * Subtlety here: if ptrace pokes something larger than 2^31-1 into
@@ -260,7 +256,7 @@ __visible noinstr void do_int80_syscall_32(struct pt_regs *regs)
 
 static noinstr bool __do_fast_syscall_32(struct pt_regs *regs)
 {
-	int nr = syscall_32_enter(regs);
+	long nr = syscall_32_enter(regs);
 	int res;
 
 	enter_from_user_mode_randomize_stack(regs);
diff --git a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c
index c716e0f546c6..9a2762e32ae8 100644
--- a/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c
+++ b/arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ const sys_call_ptr_t sys_call_table[] = {
 #undef  __SYSCALL
 
 #define __SYSCALL(nr, sym) case nr: return __x64_##sym(regs);
+
+/* The unsigned int @nr argument is intentional as it creates denser code */
 static noinline long x64_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
 {
 	switch (nr) {
@@ -52,39 +54,29 @@ static noinline long x32_sys_call(const struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned int nr)
 #endif
 }
 
-static __always_inline bool do_syscall_x64(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
+static __always_inline bool do_syscall_x64(struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned long nr)
 {
-	/*
-	 * Convert negative numbers to very high and thus out of range
-	 * numbers for comparisons.
-	 */
-	unsigned int unr = nr;
-
-	if (likely(unr < NR_syscalls)) {
-		unr = array_index_nospec(unr, NR_syscalls);
-		regs->ax = x64_sys_call(regs, unr);
+	if (likely(nr < NR_syscalls)) {
+		nr = array_index_nospec(nr, NR_syscalls);
+		regs->ax = x64_sys_call(regs, (unsigned int)nr);
 		return true;
 	}
 	return false;
 }
 
-static __always_inline void do_syscall_x32(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
+static __always_inline void do_syscall_x32(struct pt_regs *regs, unsigned long nr)
 {
-	/*
-	 * Adjust the starting offset of the table, and convert numbers
-	 * < __X32_SYSCALL_BIT to very high and thus out of range
-	 * numbers for comparisons.
-	 */
-	unsigned int xnr = nr - __X32_SYSCALL_BIT;
+	/* Adjust the starting offset of the table */
+	nr -= __X32_SYSCALL_BIT;
 
-	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_X86_X32_ABI) && likely(xnr < X32_NR_syscalls)) {
-		xnr = array_index_nospec(xnr, X32_NR_syscalls);
-		regs->ax = x32_sys_call(regs, xnr);
+	if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_X86_X32_ABI) && likely(nr < X32_NR_syscalls)) {
+		nr = array_index_nospec(nr, X32_NR_syscalls);
+		regs->ax = x32_sys_call(regs, (unsigned int)nr);
 	}
 }
 
 /* Returns true to return using SYSRET, or false to use IRET */
-__visible noinstr bool do_syscall_64(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr)
+__visible noinstr bool do_syscall_64(struct pt_regs *regs, long nr)
 {
 	nr = syscall_enter_from_user_mode_randomize_stack(regs, nr);
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h b/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h
index 59a406074dc0..cfe4251fc1fe 100644
--- a/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h
+++ b/arch/x86/include/asm/syscall.h
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ static inline int syscall_get_arch(struct task_struct *task)
 		? AUDIT_ARCH_I386 : AUDIT_ARCH_X86_64;
 }
 
-bool do_syscall_64(struct pt_regs *regs, int nr);
+bool do_syscall_64(struct pt_regs *regs, long nr);
 void do_int80_emulation(struct pt_regs *regs);
 
 #endif	/* CONFIG_X86_32 */