diff --git a/Documentation/networking/net_cachelines/net_device.rst b/Documentation/networking/net_cachelines/net_device.rst
index 56d4bbaf8a2c..22b07c814f4a 100644
--- a/Documentation/networking/net_cachelines/net_device.rst
+++ b/Documentation/networking/net_cachelines/net_device.rst
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ unsigned_int                        num_rx_queues
 unsigned_int                        real_num_rx_queues      -                   read_mostly         get_rps_cpu
 struct_bpf_prog*                    xdp_prog                -                   read_mostly         netif_elide_gro()
 unsigned_long                       gro_flush_timeout       -                   read_mostly         napi_complete_done
-int                                 napi_defer_hard_irqs    -                   read_mostly         napi_complete_done
+u32                                 napi_defer_hard_irqs    -                   read_mostly         napi_complete_done
 unsigned_int                        gro_max_size            -                   read_mostly         skb_gro_receive
 unsigned_int                        gro_ipv4_max_size       -                   read_mostly         skb_gro_receive
 rx_handler_func_t*                  rx_handler              read_mostly         -                   __netif_receive_skb_core
diff --git a/include/linux/netdevice.h b/include/linux/netdevice.h
index ca5f0dda733b..b47c00657bd0 100644
--- a/include/linux/netdevice.h
+++ b/include/linux/netdevice.h
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ struct napi_struct {
 
 	unsigned long		state;
 	int			weight;
-	int			defer_hard_irqs_count;
+	u32			defer_hard_irqs_count;
 	unsigned long		gro_bitmask;
 	int			(*poll)(struct napi_struct *, int);
 #ifdef CONFIG_NETPOLL
@@ -2075,7 +2075,7 @@ struct net_device {
 	unsigned int		real_num_rx_queues;
 	struct netdev_rx_queue	*_rx;
 	unsigned long		gro_flush_timeout;
-	int			napi_defer_hard_irqs;
+	u32			napi_defer_hard_irqs;
 	unsigned int		gro_max_size;
 	unsigned int		gro_ipv4_max_size;
 	rx_handler_func_t __rcu	*rx_handler;
diff --git a/net/core/net-sysfs.c b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
index 01a9fb54ef42..146a271a74e0 100644
--- a/net/core/net-sysfs.c
+++ b/net/core/net-sysfs.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_SYSFS
 static const char fmt_hex[] = "%#x\n";
 static const char fmt_dec[] = "%d\n";
+static const char fmt_uint[] = "%u\n";
 static const char fmt_ulong[] = "%lu\n";
 static const char fmt_u64[] = "%llu\n";
 
@@ -425,6 +426,9 @@ NETDEVICE_SHOW_RW(gro_flush_timeout, fmt_ulong);
 
 static int change_napi_defer_hard_irqs(struct net_device *dev, unsigned long val)
 {
+	if (val > S32_MAX)
+		return -ERANGE;
+
 	WRITE_ONCE(dev->napi_defer_hard_irqs, val);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -438,7 +442,7 @@ static ssize_t napi_defer_hard_irqs_store(struct device *dev,
 
 	return netdev_store(dev, attr, buf, len, change_napi_defer_hard_irqs);
 }
-NETDEVICE_SHOW_RW(napi_defer_hard_irqs, fmt_dec);
+NETDEVICE_SHOW_RW(napi_defer_hard_irqs, fmt_uint);
 
 static ssize_t ifalias_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *attr,
 			     const char *buf, size_t len)