diff --git a/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp b/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp
index a3f8f2a51..1f8ffb945 100644
--- a/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkbufferoverrun.cpp
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ void CheckBufferOverrun::checkGlobalAndLocalVariable()
         else if (tok->str() == "}")
             --indentlevel;
 
-        unsigned int size = 0;
+        int size = 0;
         std::string type;
         unsigned int varid = 0;
         int nextTok = 0;
@@ -842,28 +842,30 @@ void CheckBufferOverrun::checkGlobalAndLocalVariable()
                 else
                     size = SHRT_MAX + 1;
             }
+
+            // checkScope assumes size is signed int so we limit the following sizes to INT_MAX
             else if (index_type->str() == "int")
             {
                 if (index_type->isUnsigned())
-                    size = UINT_MAX; // really UINT_MAX + 1;
+                    size = INT_MAX; // should be UINT_MAX + 1U;
                 else
-                    size = INT_MAX + 1U;
+                    size = INT_MAX; // should be INT_MAX + 1U;
             }
             else if (index_type->str() == "long")
             {
                 if (index_type->isUnsigned())
                 {
                     if (index_type->isLong())
-                        size = ULONG_MAX; // really ULLONG_MAX + 1;
+                        size = INT_MAX; // should be ULLONG_MAX + 1ULL;
                     else
-                        size = ULONG_MAX; // really ULONG_MAX + 1;
+                        size = INT_MAX; // should be ULONG_MAX + 1UL;
                 }
                 else
                 {
                     if (index_type->isLong())
-                        size = ULONG_MAX; // really LLONG_MAX + 1;
+                        size = INT_MAX; // should be LLONG_MAX + 1LL;
                     else
-                        size = LONG_MAX + 1U;
+                        size = INT_MAX; // should be LONG_MAX + 1L;
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/test/testbufferoverrun.cpp b/test/testbufferoverrun.cpp
index 78ad0b764..ab5e69246 100644
--- a/test/testbufferoverrun.cpp
+++ b/test/testbufferoverrun.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "testsuite.h"
 
 #include <sstream>
+#include <climits>
 
 extern std::ostringstream errout;
 
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(array_index_21);
         TEST_CASE(array_index_22);
         TEST_CASE(array_index_23);
-        TEST_CASE(array_index_24); // ticket #1492
+        TEST_CASE(array_index_24); // ticket #1492 and #1539
         TEST_CASE(array_index_25); // ticket #1536
         TEST_CASE(array_index_multidim);
         TEST_CASE(array_index_switch_in_for);
@@ -761,19 +762,40 @@ private:
 
     void array_index_24()
     {
-        // ticket #1492
+        // ticket #1492 and #1539
+        if (CHAR_MAX == SCHAR_MAX) // plain char is signed
+        {
+            check("void f(char n) {\n"
+                  "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= CHAR_MAX
+                  "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
+                  "    a[128] = 0;\n"   // 128 > CHAR_MAX
+                  "}\n");
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[128]' index -1 out of bounds\n"
+                          "[test.cpp:4]: (error) Array 'a[128]' index 128 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
+        }
+        else // plain char is unsigned
+        {
+            check("void f(char n) {\n"
+                  "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= CHAR_MAX
+                  "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
+                  "    a[256] = 0;\n"   // 256 > CHAR_MAX
+                  "}\n");
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[256]' index -1 out of bounds\n"
+                          "[test.cpp:4]: (error) Array 'a[256]' index 256 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
+        }
+
         check("void f(signed char n) {\n"
               "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= SCHAR_MAX
               "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
-              "    a[128] = 0;\n" // 128 > SCHAR_MAX
+              "    a[128] = 0;\n"   // 128 > SCHAR_MAX
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[128]' index -1 out of bounds\n"
                       "[test.cpp:4]: (error) Array 'a[128]' index 128 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
 
         check("void f(unsigned char n) {\n"
-              "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= UCHAR
+              "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= UCHAR_MAX
               "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
-              "    a[256] = 0;\n" // 256 > UCHAR_MAX
+              "    a[256] = 0;\n"   // 256 > UCHAR_MAX
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[256]' index -1 out of bounds\n"
                       "[test.cpp:4]: (error) Array 'a[256]' index 256 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
@@ -793,6 +815,35 @@ private:
               "}\n");
         ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[65536]' index -1 out of bounds\n"
                       "[test.cpp:4]: (error) Array 'a[65536]' index 65536 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
+
+        check("void f(signed short n) {\n"
+              "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= SHRT_MAX
+              "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
+              "    a[32768] = 0;\n" // 32768 > SHRT_MAX
+              "}\n");
+        ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[32768]' index -1 out of bounds\n"
+                      "[test.cpp:4]: (error) Array 'a[32768]' index 32768 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
+
+        if (sizeof(int) == 4)
+        {
+            check("void f(int n) {\n"
+                  "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= INT_MAX
+                  "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
+                  "}\n");
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[2147483647]' index -1 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
+
+            check("void f(unsigned int n) {\n"
+                  "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= UINT_MAX
+                  "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
+                  "}\n");
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[2147483647]' index -1 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
+
+            check("void f(signed int n) {\n"
+                  "    int a[n];\n"     // n <= INT_MAX
+                  "    a[-1] = 0;\n"    // negative index
+                  "}\n");
+            ASSERT_EQUALS("[test.cpp:3]: (error) Array 'a[2147483647]' index -1 out of bounds\n", errout.str());
+        }
     }
 
     void array_index_25()