diff --git a/hw/ide/ahci.c b/hw/ide/ahci.c
index bac1871a31..2c3306dae4 100644
--- a/hw/ide/ahci.c
+++ b/hw/ide/ahci.c
@@ -1819,7 +1819,7 @@ const VMStateDescription vmstate_ahci = {
     .version_id = 1,
     .post_load = ahci_state_post_load,
     .fields = (const VMStateField[]) {
-        VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_POINTER_INT32(dev, AHCIState, ports,
+        VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_POINTER_UINT32(dev, AHCIState, ports,
                                      vmstate_ahci_device, AHCIDevice),
         VMSTATE_UINT32(control_regs.cap, AHCIState),
         VMSTATE_UINT32(control_regs.ghc, AHCIState),
@@ -1827,7 +1827,7 @@ const VMStateDescription vmstate_ahci = {
         VMSTATE_UINT32(control_regs.impl, AHCIState),
         VMSTATE_UINT32(control_regs.version, AHCIState),
         VMSTATE_UINT32(idp_index, AHCIState),
-        VMSTATE_INT32_EQUAL(ports, AHCIState, NULL),
+        VMSTATE_UINT32_EQUAL(ports, AHCIState, NULL),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     },
 };
diff --git a/include/hw/ide/ahci.h b/include/hw/ide/ahci.h
index 8cd55b1333..604d3a0994 100644
--- a/include/hw/ide/ahci.h
+++ b/include/hw/ide/ahci.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ typedef struct AHCIState {
     MemoryRegion idp;       /* Index-Data Pair I/O port space */
     unsigned idp_offset;    /* Offset of index in I/O port space */
     uint32_t idp_index;     /* Current IDP index */
-    int32_t ports;
+    uint32_t ports;
     qemu_irq irq;
     AddressSpace *as;
 } AHCIState;