diff --git a/utils/src/format.h b/utils/src/format.h
index fe83a346..685f1d53 100644
--- a/utils/src/format.h
+++ b/utils/src/format.h
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ struct scoutfs_btree_block {
 	struct scoutfs_block_header hdr;
 	__le16 free_end;
 	__le16 free_reclaim;
-	__u8 nr_items;
+	__le16 nr_items;
 	__le16 item_offs[0];
 } __packed;
 
diff --git a/utils/src/mkfs.c b/utils/src/mkfs.c
index ac49cb74..c671d08d 100644
--- a/utils/src/mkfs.c
+++ b/utils/src/mkfs.c
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ static int write_new_fs(char *path, int fd)
 	/* write a btree leaf root inode item */
 	memset(buf, 0, SCOUTFS_BLOCK_SIZE);
 	bt = buf;
-	bt->nr_items = 1;
+	bt->nr_items = cpu_to_le16(1);
 	bt->free_end = cpu_to_le16(SCOUTFS_BLOCK_SIZE - sizeof(*item) -
 				   sizeof(*inode));
 	bt->free_reclaim = 0;
diff --git a/utils/src/print.c b/utils/src/print.c
index 31ff1447..145d9f36 100644
--- a/utils/src/print.c
+++ b/utils/src/print.c
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ static int print_btree_block(int fd, __le64 blkno, u8 level)
 	struct scoutfs_btree_item *item;
 	struct scoutfs_btree_block *bt;
 	struct scoutfs_block_ref *ref;
+	unsigned int nr;
 	int ret = 0;
 	int err;
 	int i;
@@ -186,14 +187,14 @@ static int print_btree_block(int fd, __le64 blkno, u8 level)
 	if (!bt)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
+	nr = le16_to_cpu(bt->nr_items);
+
 	printf("btree blkno %llu\n", le64_to_cpu(blkno));
 	print_block_header(&bt->hdr);
 	printf("  free_end %u free_reclaim %u nr_items %u\n",
-	       le16_to_cpu(bt->free_end),
-	       le16_to_cpu(bt->free_reclaim),
-	       bt->nr_items);
+	       le16_to_cpu(bt->free_end), le16_to_cpu(bt->free_reclaim), nr);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < bt->nr_items; i++) {
+	for (i = 0; i < nr; i++) {
 		item = (void *)bt + le16_to_cpu(bt->item_offs[i]);
 
 		printf("    [%u] off %u: key "SKF" seq %llu val_len %u\n",
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ static int print_btree_block(int fd, __le64 blkno, u8 level)
 		print_btree_val(item, level);
 	}
 
-	for (i = 0; level && i < bt->nr_items; i++) {
+	for (i = 0; level && i < nr; i++) {
 		item = (void *)bt + le16_to_cpu(bt->item_offs[i]);
 
 		ref = (void *)item->val;