diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayKernel.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayKernel.hh
index 733759dc..cfb35c5b 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayKernel.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/ArrayKernel.hh
@@ -265,10 +265,10 @@ public:
   void clear();
 
   // --- number of items ---
-  uint n_vertices()  const { return vertices_.size(); }
-  uint n_halfedges() const { return 2*edges_.size(); }
-  uint n_edges()     const { return edges_.size(); }
-  uint n_faces()     const { return faces_.size(); }
+  size_t n_vertices()  const { return vertices_.size(); }
+  size_t n_halfedges() const { return 2*edges_.size(); }
+  size_t n_edges()     const { return edges_.size(); }
+  size_t n_faces()     const { return faces_.size(); }
 
   bool vertices_empty()  const { return vertices_.empty(); }
   bool halfedges_empty() const { return edges_.empty(); }
diff --git a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/BaseKernel.hh b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/BaseKernel.hh
index 65fd34a3..3e76b6fc 100644
--- a/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/BaseKernel.hh
+++ b/src/OpenMesh/Core/Mesh/BaseKernel.hh
@@ -499,10 +499,10 @@ protected: // low-level access non-public
 public: //----------------------------------------------------- element numbers
 
 
-  virtual unsigned int n_vertices()  const { return 0; }
-  virtual unsigned int n_halfedges() const { return 0; }
-  virtual unsigned int n_edges()     const { return 0; }
-  virtual unsigned int n_faces()     const { return 0; }
+  virtual size_t n_vertices()  const { return 0; }
+  virtual size_t n_halfedges() const { return 0; }
+  virtual size_t n_edges()     const { return 0; }
+  virtual size_t n_faces()     const { return 0; }
 
 
 protected: //------------------------------------------- synchronize properties