diff --git a/include/hw/loader.h b/include/hw/loader.h
index 5572108ba5..70248e0da7 100644
--- a/include/hw/loader.h
+++ b/include/hw/loader.h
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ ssize_t load_image_size(const char *filename, void *addr, size_t size);
  *
  * Returns the size of the loaded image on success, -1 otherwise.
  */
-int load_image_targphys_as(const char *filename,
-                           hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz, AddressSpace *as);
+ssize_t load_image_targphys_as(const char *filename,
+                               hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz, AddressSpace *as);
 
 /**load_targphys_hex_as:
  * @filename: Path to the .hex file
@@ -53,14 +53,15 @@ int load_image_targphys_as(const char *filename,
  *
  * Returns the size of the loaded .hex file on success, -1 otherwise.
  */
-int load_targphys_hex_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *entry, AddressSpace *as);
+ssize_t load_targphys_hex_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *entry,
+                             AddressSpace *as);
 
 /** load_image_targphys:
  * Same as load_image_targphys_as(), but doesn't allow the caller to specify
  * an AddressSpace.
  */
-int load_image_targphys(const char *filename, hwaddr,
-                        uint64_t max_sz);
+ssize_t load_image_targphys(const char *filename, hwaddr,
+                            uint64_t max_sz);
 
 /**
  * load_image_mr: load an image into a memory region
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ int load_image_targphys(const char *filename, hwaddr,
  * If the file is larger than the memory region's size the call will fail.
  * Returns -1 on failure, or the size of the file.
  */
-int load_image_mr(const char *filename, MemoryRegion *mr);
+ssize_t load_image_mr(const char *filename, MemoryRegion *mr);
 
 /* This is the limit on the maximum uncompressed image size that
  * load_image_gzipped_buffer() and load_image_gzipped() will read. It prevents
@@ -81,9 +82,9 @@ int load_image_mr(const char *filename, MemoryRegion *mr);
  */
 #define LOAD_IMAGE_MAX_GUNZIP_BYTES (256 << 20)
 
-int load_image_gzipped_buffer(const char *filename, uint64_t max_sz,
-                              uint8_t **buffer);
-int load_image_gzipped(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz);
+ssize_t load_image_gzipped_buffer(const char *filename, uint64_t max_sz,
+                                  uint8_t **buffer);
+ssize_t load_image_gzipped(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz);
 
 #define ELF_LOAD_FAILED       -1
 #define ELF_LOAD_NOT_ELF      -2
@@ -183,8 +184,8 @@ ssize_t load_elf(const char *filename,
  */
 void load_elf_hdr(const char *filename, void *hdr, bool *is64, Error **errp);
 
-int load_aout(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, int max_sz,
-              int bswap_needed, hwaddr target_page_size);
+ssize_t load_aout(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, int max_sz,
+                  int bswap_needed, hwaddr target_page_size);
 
 #define LOAD_UIMAGE_LOADADDR_INVALID (-1)
 
@@ -205,19 +206,19 @@ int load_aout(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, int max_sz,
  *
  * Returns the size of the loaded image on success, -1 otherwise.
  */
-int load_uimage_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep,
-                   hwaddr *loadaddr, int *is_linux,
-                   uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
-                   void *translate_opaque, AddressSpace *as);
+ssize_t load_uimage_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep,
+                       hwaddr *loadaddr, int *is_linux,
+                       uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
+                       void *translate_opaque, AddressSpace *as);
 
 /** load_uimage:
  * Same as load_uimage_as(), but doesn't allow the caller to specify an
  * AddressSpace.
  */
-int load_uimage(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep,
-                hwaddr *loadaddr, int *is_linux,
-                uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
-                void *translate_opaque);
+ssize_t load_uimage(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep,
+                    hwaddr *loadaddr, int *is_linux,
+                    uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
+                    void *translate_opaque);
 
 /**
  * load_ramdisk_as:
@@ -232,15 +233,15 @@ int load_uimage(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep,
  *
  * Returns the size of the loaded image on success, -1 otherwise.
  */
-int load_ramdisk_as(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz,
-                    AddressSpace *as);
+ssize_t load_ramdisk_as(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz,
+                        AddressSpace *as);
 
 /**
  * load_ramdisk:
  * Same as load_ramdisk_as(), but doesn't allow the caller to specify
  * an AddressSpace.
  */
-int load_ramdisk(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz);
+ssize_t load_ramdisk(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz);
 
 ssize_t gunzip(void *dst, size_t dstlen, uint8_t *src, size_t srclen);
 
@@ -253,9 +254,9 @@ void pstrcpy_targphys(const char *name,
 extern bool option_rom_has_mr;
 extern bool rom_file_has_mr;
 
-int rom_add_file(const char *file, const char *fw_dir,
-                 hwaddr addr, int32_t bootindex,
-                 bool option_rom, MemoryRegion *mr, AddressSpace *as);
+ssize_t rom_add_file(const char *file, const char *fw_dir,
+                     hwaddr addr, int32_t bootindex,
+                     bool option_rom, MemoryRegion *mr, AddressSpace *as);
 MemoryRegion *rom_add_blob(const char *name, const void *blob, size_t len,
                            size_t max_len, hwaddr addr,
                            const char *fw_file_name,
@@ -336,8 +337,8 @@ void hmp_info_roms(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict);
 #define rom_add_blob_fixed_as(_f, _b, _l, _a, _as)      \
     rom_add_blob(_f, _b, _l, _l, _a, NULL, NULL, NULL, _as, true)
 
-int rom_add_vga(const char *file);
-int rom_add_option(const char *file, int32_t bootindex);
+ssize_t rom_add_vga(const char *file);
+ssize_t rom_add_option(const char *file, int32_t bootindex);
 
 /* This is the usual maximum in uboot, so if a uImage overflows this, it would
  * overflow on real hardware too. */
diff --git a/hw/arm/armv7m.c b/hw/arm/armv7m.c
index 32349ec94b..990861ee5e 100644
--- a/hw/arm/armv7m.c
+++ b/hw/arm/armv7m.c
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ static void armv7m_reset(void *opaque)
 
 void armv7m_load_kernel(ARMCPU *cpu, const char *kernel_filename, int mem_size)
 {
-    int image_size;
+    ssize_t image_size;
     uint64_t entry;
     int big_endian;
     AddressSpace *as;
diff --git a/hw/arm/boot.c b/hw/arm/boot.c
index a8de33fd64..ada2717f76 100644
--- a/hw/arm/boot.c
+++ b/hw/arm/boot.c
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ static int do_arm_linux_init(Object *obj, void *opaque)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int64_t arm_load_elf(struct arm_boot_info *info, uint64_t *pentry,
+static ssize_t arm_load_elf(struct arm_boot_info *info, uint64_t *pentry,
                             uint64_t *lowaddr, uint64_t *highaddr,
                             int elf_machine, AddressSpace *as)
 {
@@ -892,7 +892,7 @@ static int64_t arm_load_elf(struct arm_boot_info *info, uint64_t *pentry,
     } elf_header;
     int data_swab = 0;
     bool big_endian;
-    int64_t ret = -1;
+    ssize_t ret = -1;
     Error *err = NULL;
 
 
@@ -1014,7 +1014,7 @@ static void arm_setup_direct_kernel_boot(ARMCPU *cpu,
     /* Set up for a direct boot of a kernel image file. */
     CPUState *cs;
     AddressSpace *as = arm_boot_address_space(cpu, info);
-    int kernel_size;
+    ssize_t kernel_size;
     int initrd_size;
     int is_linux = 0;
     uint64_t elf_entry;
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ static void arm_setup_direct_kernel_boot(ARMCPU *cpu,
 
     if (kernel_size > info->ram_size) {
         error_report("kernel '%s' is too large to fit in RAM "
-                     "(kernel size %d, RAM size %" PRId64 ")",
+                     "(kernel size %zd, RAM size %" PRId64 ")",
                      info->kernel_filename, kernel_size, info->ram_size);
         exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/hw/core/generic-loader.c b/hw/core/generic-loader.c
index c666545aa0..4f4d77908d 100644
--- a/hw/core/generic-loader.c
+++ b/hw/core/generic-loader.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ static void generic_loader_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     GenericLoaderState *s = GENERIC_LOADER(dev);
     hwaddr entry;
     int big_endian;
-    int size = 0;
+    ssize_t size = 0;
 
     s->set_pc = false;
 
diff --git a/hw/core/loader.c b/hw/core/loader.c
index edde657ac3..0548830733 100644
--- a/hw/core/loader.c
+++ b/hw/core/loader.c
@@ -114,17 +114,17 @@ ssize_t read_targphys(const char *name,
     return did;
 }
 
-int load_image_targphys(const char *filename,
-                        hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz)
+ssize_t load_image_targphys(const char *filename,
+                            hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz)
 {
     return load_image_targphys_as(filename, addr, max_sz, NULL);
 }
 
 /* return the size or -1 if error */
-int load_image_targphys_as(const char *filename,
-                           hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz, AddressSpace *as)
+ssize_t load_image_targphys_as(const char *filename,
+                               hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz, AddressSpace *as)
 {
-    int size;
+    ssize_t size;
 
     size = get_image_size(filename);
     if (size < 0 || size > max_sz) {
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ int load_image_targphys_as(const char *filename,
     return size;
 }
 
-int load_image_mr(const char *filename, MemoryRegion *mr)
+ssize_t load_image_mr(const char *filename, MemoryRegion *mr)
 {
-    int size;
+    ssize_t size;
 
     if (!memory_access_is_direct(mr, false)) {
         /* Can only load an image into RAM or ROM */
@@ -222,8 +222,8 @@ static void bswap_ahdr(struct exec *e)
      : (_N_SEGMENT_ROUND (_N_TXTENDADDR(x, target_page_size), target_page_size)))
 
 
-int load_aout(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, int max_sz,
-              int bswap_needed, hwaddr target_page_size)
+ssize_t load_aout(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, int max_sz,
+                  int bswap_needed, hwaddr target_page_size)
 {
     int fd;
     ssize_t size, ret;
@@ -617,13 +617,14 @@ toosmall:
 }
 
 /* Load a U-Boot image.  */
-static int load_uboot_image(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep, hwaddr *loadaddr,
-                            int *is_linux, uint8_t image_type,
-                            uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
-                            void *translate_opaque, AddressSpace *as)
+static ssize_t load_uboot_image(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep,
+                                hwaddr *loadaddr, int *is_linux,
+                                uint8_t image_type,
+                                uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
+                                void *translate_opaque, AddressSpace *as)
 {
     int fd;
-    int size;
+    ssize_t size;
     hwaddr address;
     uboot_image_header_t h;
     uboot_image_header_t *hdr = &h;
@@ -760,40 +761,40 @@ out:
     return ret;
 }
 
-int load_uimage(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep, hwaddr *loadaddr,
-                int *is_linux,
-                uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
-                void *translate_opaque)
+ssize_t load_uimage(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep, hwaddr *loadaddr,
+                    int *is_linux,
+                    uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
+                    void *translate_opaque)
 {
     return load_uboot_image(filename, ep, loadaddr, is_linux, IH_TYPE_KERNEL,
                             translate_fn, translate_opaque, NULL);
 }
 
-int load_uimage_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep, hwaddr *loadaddr,
-                   int *is_linux,
-                   uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
-                   void *translate_opaque, AddressSpace *as)
+ssize_t load_uimage_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *ep, hwaddr *loadaddr,
+                       int *is_linux,
+                       uint64_t (*translate_fn)(void *, uint64_t),
+                       void *translate_opaque, AddressSpace *as)
 {
     return load_uboot_image(filename, ep, loadaddr, is_linux, IH_TYPE_KERNEL,
                             translate_fn, translate_opaque, as);
 }
 
 /* Load a ramdisk.  */
-int load_ramdisk(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz)
+ssize_t load_ramdisk(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz)
 {
     return load_ramdisk_as(filename, addr, max_sz, NULL);
 }
 
-int load_ramdisk_as(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz,
-                    AddressSpace *as)
+ssize_t load_ramdisk_as(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz,
+                        AddressSpace *as)
 {
     return load_uboot_image(filename, NULL, &addr, NULL, IH_TYPE_RAMDISK,
                             NULL, NULL, as);
 }
 
 /* Load a gzip-compressed kernel to a dynamically allocated buffer. */
-int load_image_gzipped_buffer(const char *filename, uint64_t max_sz,
-                              uint8_t **buffer)
+ssize_t load_image_gzipped_buffer(const char *filename, uint64_t max_sz,
+                                  uint8_t **buffer)
 {
     uint8_t *compressed_data = NULL;
     uint8_t *data = NULL;
@@ -838,9 +839,9 @@ int load_image_gzipped_buffer(const char *filename, uint64_t max_sz,
 }
 
 /* Load a gzip-compressed kernel. */
-int load_image_gzipped(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz)
+ssize_t load_image_gzipped(const char *filename, hwaddr addr, uint64_t max_sz)
 {
-    int bytes;
+    ssize_t bytes;
     uint8_t *data;
 
     bytes = load_image_gzipped_buffer(filename, max_sz, &data);
@@ -970,14 +971,15 @@ static void *rom_set_mr(Rom *rom, Object *owner, const char *name, bool ro)
     return data;
 }
 
-int rom_add_file(const char *file, const char *fw_dir,
-                 hwaddr addr, int32_t bootindex,
-                 bool option_rom, MemoryRegion *mr,
-                 AddressSpace *as)
+ssize_t rom_add_file(const char *file, const char *fw_dir,
+                     hwaddr addr, int32_t bootindex,
+                     bool option_rom, MemoryRegion *mr,
+                     AddressSpace *as)
 {
     MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_GET_CLASS(qdev_get_machine());
     Rom *rom;
-    int rc, fd = -1;
+    ssize_t rc;
+    int fd = -1;
     char devpath[100];
 
     if (as && mr) {
@@ -1019,7 +1021,7 @@ int rom_add_file(const char *file, const char *fw_dir,
     lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET);
     rc = read(fd, rom->data, rom->datasize);
     if (rc != rom->datasize) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "rom: file %-20s: read error: rc=%d (expected %zd)\n",
+        fprintf(stderr, "rom: file %-20s: read error: rc=%zd (expected %zd)\n",
                 rom->name, rc, rom->datasize);
         goto err;
     }
@@ -1138,12 +1140,12 @@ int rom_add_elf_program(const char *name, GMappedFile *mapped_file, void *data,
     return 0;
 }
 
-int rom_add_vga(const char *file)
+ssize_t rom_add_vga(const char *file)
 {
     return rom_add_file(file, "vgaroms", 0, -1, true, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
-int rom_add_option(const char *file, int32_t bootindex)
+ssize_t rom_add_option(const char *file, int32_t bootindex)
 {
     return rom_add_file(file, "genroms", 0, bootindex, true, NULL, NULL);
 }
@@ -1846,11 +1848,12 @@ out:
 }
 
 /* return size or -1 if error */
-int load_targphys_hex_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *entry, AddressSpace *as)
+ssize_t load_targphys_hex_as(const char *filename, hwaddr *entry,
+                             AddressSpace *as)
 {
     gsize hex_blob_size;
     gchar *hex_blob;
-    int total_size = 0;
+    ssize_t total_size = 0;
 
     if (!g_file_get_contents(filename, &hex_blob, &hex_blob_size, NULL)) {
         return -1;
diff --git a/hw/i386/x86.c b/hw/i386/x86.c
index 78b05ab7a2..6003b4b2df 100644
--- a/hw/i386/x86.c
+++ b/hw/i386/x86.c
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ void x86_bios_rom_init(MachineState *ms, const char *default_firmware,
     char *filename;
     MemoryRegion *bios, *isa_bios;
     int bios_size, isa_bios_size;
-    int ret;
+    ssize_t ret;
 
     /* BIOS load */
     bios_name = ms->firmware ?: default_firmware;
diff --git a/hw/riscv/boot.c b/hw/riscv/boot.c
index 57a41df8e9..2d80f40b31 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/boot.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/boot.c
@@ -129,7 +129,8 @@ target_ulong riscv_load_firmware(const char *firmware_filename,
                                  hwaddr firmware_load_addr,
                                  symbol_fn_t sym_cb)
 {
-    uint64_t firmware_entry, firmware_size, firmware_end;
+    uint64_t firmware_entry, firmware_end;
+    ssize_t firmware_size;
 
     if (load_elf_ram_sym(firmware_filename, NULL, NULL, NULL,
                          &firmware_entry, NULL, &firmware_end, NULL,
@@ -185,7 +186,7 @@ target_ulong riscv_load_kernel(const char *kernel_filename,
 hwaddr riscv_load_initrd(const char *filename, uint64_t mem_size,
                          uint64_t kernel_entry, hwaddr *start)
 {
-    int size;
+    ssize_t size;
 
     /*
      * We want to put the initrd far enough into RAM that when the
