diff --git a/include/boost/python/suite/indexing/slice.hpp b/include/boost/python/suite/indexing/slice.hpp
index 5b064194..82d5c290 100755
--- a/include/boost/python/suite/indexing/slice.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/python/suite/indexing/slice.hpp
@@ -39,24 +39,26 @@ namespace boost { namespace python { namespace indexing {
     // This class provides a convenient interface to Python slice
     // objects that contain integer bound and stride values.
 
-    integer_slice (slice const &, int sequenceLength);
+    typedef int index_type;
+
+    integer_slice (slice const &, index_type sequenceLength);
     // integer_slice must know how big the container is so it can
     // adjust for negative indexes, etc...
 
-    int start() const { return mStart; }
-    int step() const  { return mStep; }
-    int stop() const  { return mStop; }
+    index_type start() const { return mStart; }
+    index_type step() const  { return mStep; }
+    index_type stop() const  { return mStop; }
 
-    int size() const { return (mStop - mStart) / mStep; }
+    index_type size() const { return (mStop - mStart) / mStep; }
 
-    bool in_range (int index);
+    bool in_range (index_type index);
 
   private:
     slice mSlice;
-    int mStart;
-    int mStep;
-    int mStop;
-    int mDirection;
+    index_type mStart;
+    index_type mStep;
+    index_type mStop;
+    index_type mDirection;
   };
 } } }
 
diff --git a/src/indexing/slice.cpp b/src/indexing/slice.cpp
index 09ee0843..3835c931 100755
--- a/src/indexing/slice.cpp
+++ b/src/indexing/slice.cpp
@@ -31,10 +31,10 @@ boost::python::indexing::slice::slice (slice const &copy)
 // integer_slice constructor
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-boost::python::indexing::integer_slice::integer_slice (slice const &sl
-                                                       , int sequenceLength)
+boost::python::indexing::integer_slice
+::integer_slice (slice const &sl, index_type sequenceLength)
   : mSlice (sl)
-  // Leave int members uninitialized
+  // Leave index members uninitialized
 {
   PySlice_GetIndices (reinterpret_cast<PySliceObject *> (mSlice.ptr())
                       , sequenceLength
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ boost::python::indexing::integer_slice::integer_slice (slice const &sl
 // Check if an index is within the range of this integer_slice
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-bool boost::python::indexing::integer_slice::in_range (int index)
+bool boost::python::indexing::integer_slice::in_range (index_type index)
 {
   return ((mStop - index) * mDirection) > 0;
 }