diff --git a/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor b/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor
index 2dc11f39cd..b3001a5184 100644
--- a/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor
+++ b/basis/io/buffers/buffers.factor
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ M: buffer dispose* ptr>> free ; inline
     [ buffer-peek ] [ 1 swap buffer-consume ] bi ; inline
 
 : buffer-length ( buffer -- n )
-    [ fill>> ] [ pos>> ] bi - ; inline
+    [ fill>> ] [ pos>> ] bi - >fixnum ; inline
 
 : buffer@ ( buffer -- alien )
     [ pos>> ] [ ptr>> ] bi <displaced-alien> ; inline
diff --git a/basis/io/ports/ports.factor b/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
index 0daedfd436..eaae1e40a9 100644
--- a/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
+++ b/basis/io/ports/ports.factor
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ io.buffers io.encodings io.encodings.ascii io.encodings.binary
 io.encodings.private io.encodings.utf8 io.timeouts kernel libc
 locals math math.order namespaces sequences specialized-arrays
 specialized-arrays.instances.alien.c-types.uchar splitting
-strings summary system ;
+strings summary system typed ;
 IN: io.ports
 
 SYMBOL: default-buffer-size
@@ -47,15 +47,13 @@ M: input-port stream-read1
     dup check-disposed
     dup wait-to-read [ drop f ] [ buffer>> buffer-pop ] if ; inline
 
-: read-step ( count port -- count/f ptr/f )
+TYPED: read-step ( count: fixnum port: input-port -- count: fixnum ptr/f: c-ptr )
     {
-        { [ over 0 = ] [ 2drop f f ] }
-        { [ dup wait-to-read ] [ 2drop f f ] }
+        { [ over 0 = ] [ 2drop 0 f ] }
+        { [ dup wait-to-read ] [ 2drop 0 f ] }
         [ buffer>> buffer-read-unsafe ]
     } cond ;
 
-HINTS: read-step { fixnum input-port } ;
-
 : prepare-read ( count stream -- count stream )
     dup check-disposed [ 0 max >fixnum ] dip ; inline