diff --git a/src/common.h b/src/common.h
index 361a62eb..8fdd88dc 100644
--- a/src/common.h
+++ b/src/common.h
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ struct option_locus
 {
   enum option_source source;  /* Option origin */
   char const *name;           /* File or variable name */
-  size_t line;                /* Number of input line if source is OPTS_FILE */
+  intmax_t line;              /* Number of input line if source is OPTS_FILE */
   struct option_locus *prev;  /* Previous occurrence of the option of same
 				 class */
 };
diff --git a/src/names.c b/src/names.c
index 143fbef7..bdb7519f 100644
--- a/src/names.c
+++ b/src/names.c
@@ -206,8 +206,8 @@ names_parse_opt (int key, char *arg, struct argp_state *state)
 	struct tar_args *args = state->input;
 	if (args->loc->source == OPTS_FILE)
 	  {
-	    error (0, 0, _("%s:%lu: unrecognized option"), args->loc->name,
-		   (unsigned long) args->loc->line);
+	    error (0, 0, _("%s:%jd: unrecognized option"), args->loc->name,
+		   args->loc->line);
 	    set_exit_status (TAREXIT_FAILURE);
 	  }
 	return ARGP_ERR_UNKNOWN;
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ struct name_elt        /* A name_array element. */
     struct             /* File, if type == NELT_FILE */
     {
       const char *name;/* File name */
-      size_t line;     /* Input line number */
+      intmax_t line;   /* Input line number */
       int term;        /* File name terminator in the list */
       bool verbatim;   /* Verbatim handling of file names: no white-space
 			  trimming, no option processing */
diff --git a/src/tar.c b/src/tar.c
index 79b713a8..d69f12b9 100644
--- a/src/tar.c
+++ b/src/tar.c
@@ -2224,8 +2224,8 @@ parse_opt (int key, char *arg, struct argp_state *state)
 
     case ARGP_KEY_ERROR:
       if (args->loc->source == OPTS_FILE)
-	error (0, 0, _("%s:%lu: location of the error"), args->loc->name,
-	       (unsigned long) args->loc->line);
+	error (0, 0, _("%s:%jd: location of the error"), args->loc->name,
+	       args->loc->line);
       else if (args->loc->source == OPTS_ENVIRON)
 	error (0, 0, _("error parsing %s"), args->loc->name);
       exit (EX_USAGE);