diff --git a/arch/sparc/include/asm/rwsem-const.h b/arch/sparc/include/asm/rwsem-const.h
index a303c9d64d84..e4c61a18bb28 100644
--- a/arch/sparc/include/asm/rwsem-const.h
+++ b/arch/sparc/include/asm/rwsem-const.h
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 #define RWSEM_UNLOCKED_VALUE		0x00000000
 #define RWSEM_ACTIVE_BIAS		0x00000001
 #define RWSEM_ACTIVE_MASK		0x0000ffff
-#define RWSEM_WAITING_BIAS		0xffff0000
+#define RWSEM_WAITING_BIAS		(-0x00010000)
 #define RWSEM_ACTIVE_READ_BIAS		RWSEM_ACTIVE_BIAS
 #define RWSEM_ACTIVE_WRITE_BIAS		(RWSEM_WAITING_BIAS + RWSEM_ACTIVE_BIAS)