diff --git a/src/color.hh b/src/color.hh
index 64cf6350..61a57153 100644
--- a/src/color.hh
+++ b/src/color.hh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 namespace Kakoune
 {
 
-enum class Color
+enum class Color : char
 {
     Default,
     Black,
diff --git a/src/display_buffer.hh b/src/display_buffer.hh
index 385ad94b..0fce7ab4 100644
--- a/src/display_buffer.hh
+++ b/src/display_buffer.hh
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ struct DisplayCoord : LineAndColumn<DisplayCoord, LineCount, CharCount>
         : LineAndColumn(line, column) {}
 };
 
-typedef int Attribute;
+typedef char Attribute;
 
 enum Attributes
 {