diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.cc b/src/hb-buffer.cc
index 84b4e1f26..7a953d75f 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.cc
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.cc
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ done:
 void
 hb_buffer_t::unsafe_to_break_impl (unsigned int start, unsigned int end)
 {
-  unsigned int cluster = (unsigned int) -1;
+  unsigned int cluster = UINT_MAX;
   cluster = _unsafe_to_break_find_min_cluster (info, start, end, cluster);
   _unsafe_to_break_set_mask (info, start, end, cluster);
 }
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ hb_buffer_t::unsafe_to_break_from_outbuffer (unsigned int start, unsigned int en
   assert (start <= out_len);
   assert (idx <= end);
 
-  unsigned int cluster = (unsigned int) -1;
+  unsigned int cluster = UINT_MAX;
   cluster = _unsafe_to_break_find_min_cluster (out_info, start, out_len, cluster);
   cluster = _unsafe_to_break_find_min_cluster (info, idx, end, cluster);
   _unsafe_to_break_set_mask (out_info, start, out_len, cluster);
@@ -1731,7 +1731,7 @@ hb_buffer_add_codepoints (hb_buffer_t          *buffer,
  * @buffer: an #hb_buffer_t.
  * @source: source #hb_buffer_t.
  * @start: start index into source buffer to copy.  Use 0 to copy from start of buffer.
- * @end: end index into source buffer to copy.  Use (unsigned int) -1 to copy to end of buffer.
+ * @end: end index into source buffer to copy.  Use @HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_END to copy to end of buffer.
  *
  * Append (part of) contents of another buffer to this buffer.
  *
diff --git a/src/hb-common.cc b/src/hb-common.cc
index dae08ee73..5b60ff4b2 100644
--- a/src/hb-common.cc
+++ b/src/hb-common.cc
@@ -927,14 +927,14 @@ hb_feature_to_string (hb_feature_t *feature,
   len += 4;
   while (len && s[len - 1] == ' ')
     len--;
-  if (feature->start != 0 || feature->end != (unsigned int) -1)
+  if (feature->start != HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_START || feature->end != HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_END)
   {
     s[len++] = '[';
     if (feature->start)
       len += hb_max (0, snprintf (s + len, ARRAY_LENGTH (s) - len, "%u", feature->start));
     if (feature->end != feature->start + 1) {
       s[len++] = ':';
-      if (feature->end != (unsigned int) -1)
+      if (feature->end != HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_END)
 	len += hb_max (0, snprintf (s + len, ARRAY_LENGTH (s) - len, "%u", feature->end));
     }
     s[len++] = ']';
diff --git a/src/hb-face.hh b/src/hb-face.hh
index 68834baeb..f1b472ccf 100644
--- a/src/hb-face.hh
+++ b/src/hb-face.hh
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ struct hb_face_t
   unsigned int get_num_glyphs () const
   {
     unsigned int ret = num_glyphs.get_relaxed ();
-    if (unlikely (ret == (unsigned int) -1))
+    if (unlikely (ret == UINT_MAX))
       return load_num_glyphs ();
     return ret;
   }
diff --git a/src/hb-graphite2.cc b/src/hb-graphite2.cc
index f0f2f8c73..20599b986 100644
--- a/src/hb-graphite2.cc
+++ b/src/hb-graphite2.cc
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ _hb_graphite2_shape (hb_shape_plan_t    *shape_plan HB_UNUSED,
   buffer->len = glyph_count;
 
   /* Positioning. */
-  unsigned int currclus = (unsigned int) -1;
+  unsigned int currclus = UINT_MAX;
   const hb_glyph_info_t *info = buffer->info;
   hb_glyph_position_t *pPos = hb_buffer_get_glyph_positions (buffer, nullptr);
   if (!HB_DIRECTION_IS_BACKWARD(buffer->props.direction))
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-map.hh b/src/hb-ot-map.hh
index 0a4827d74..b4f2fb904 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-map.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-map.hh
@@ -134,13 +134,13 @@ struct hb_ot_map_t
   unsigned int get_feature_stage (unsigned int table_index, hb_tag_t feature_tag) const
   {
     const feature_map_t *map = features.bsearch (feature_tag);
-    return map ? map->stage[table_index] : (unsigned int) -1;
+    return map ? map->stage[table_index] : UINT_MAX;
   }
 
   void get_stage_lookups (unsigned int table_index, unsigned int stage,
 			  const struct lookup_map_t **plookups, unsigned int *lookup_count) const
   {
-    if (unlikely (stage == (unsigned int) -1)) {
+    if (unlikely (stage == UINT_MAX)) {
       *plookups = nullptr;
       *lookup_count = 0;
       return;
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-arabic.cc b/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-arabic.cc
index f92e6378a..231c31125 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-arabic.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-arabic.cc
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ arabic_joining (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
 {
   unsigned int count = buffer->len;
   hb_glyph_info_t *info = buffer->info;
-  unsigned int prev = (unsigned int) -1, state = 0;
+  unsigned int prev = UINT_MAX, state = 0;
 
   /* Check pre-context */
   for (unsigned int i = 0; i < buffer->context_len[0]; i++)
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ arabic_joining (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
 
     const arabic_state_table_entry *entry = &arabic_state_table[state][this_type];
 
-    if (entry->prev_action != NONE && prev != (unsigned int) -1)
+    if (entry->prev_action != NONE && prev != UINT_MAX)
     {
       info[prev].arabic_shaping_action() = entry->prev_action;
       buffer->unsafe_to_break (prev, i + 1);
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ arabic_joining (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
       continue;
 
     const arabic_state_table_entry *entry = &arabic_state_table[state][this_type];
-    if (entry->prev_action != NONE && prev != (unsigned int) -1)
+    if (entry->prev_action != NONE && prev != UINT_MAX)
       info[prev].arabic_shaping_action() = entry->prev_action;
     break;
   }
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
index 4506b55e6..0c259ea6d 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ hb_ot_shape_setup_masks (const hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
   for (unsigned int i = 0; i < c->num_user_features; i++)
   {
     const hb_feature_t *feature = &c->user_features[i];
-    if (!(feature->start == 0 && feature->end == (unsigned int)-1)) {
+    if (!(feature->start == HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_START && feature->end == HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_END)) {
       unsigned int shift;
       hb_mask_t mask = map->get_mask (feature->tag, &shift);
       buffer->set_masks (feature->value << shift, mask, feature->start, feature->end);
diff --git a/src/hb-set.hh b/src/hb-set.hh
index 21cb17200..e60a0ee03 100644
--- a/src/hb-set.hh
+++ b/src/hb-set.hh
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ struct hb_set_t
     return true;
   }
 
-  void dirty () { population = (unsigned int) -1; }
+  void dirty () { population = UINT_MAX; }
 
   void add (hb_codepoint_t g)
   {
@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ struct hb_set_t
 
   unsigned int get_population () const
   {
-    if (population != (unsigned int) -1)
+    if (population != UINT_MAX)
       return population;
 
     unsigned int pop = 0;
diff --git a/test/shaping/data/aots/hb-aots-tester.cpp b/test/shaping/data/aots/hb-aots-tester.cpp
index bd46dec36..37079abc0 100644
--- a/test/shaping/data/aots/hb-aots-tester.cpp
+++ b/test/shaping/data/aots/hb-aots-tester.cpp
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ int gNbFeatures;
         features = (hb_feature_t *) malloc (sizeof (*features));
         features[0].tag = HB_TAG('t', 'e', 's', 't');
         features[0].value = 1;
-        features[0].start = 0;
-        features[0].end = 0xffffffff;
+        features[0].start = HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_START;
+        features[0].end = HB_FEATURE_GLOBAL_END;
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/util/ansi-print.cc b/util/ansi-print.cc
index 58df0a65a..80b3704ba 100644
--- a/util/ansi-print.cc
+++ b/util/ansi-print.cc
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ block_best (const biimage_t &bi, bool *inverse)
   assert (bi.width  <= CELL_W);
   assert (bi.height <= CELL_H);
 
-  unsigned int score = (unsigned int) -1;
+  unsigned int score = UINT_MAX;
   unsigned int row_sum[CELL_H] = {0};
   unsigned int col_sum[CELL_W] = {0};
   unsigned int row_sum_i[CELL_H] = {0};
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ block_best (const biimage_t &bi, bool *inverse)
 
   /* Find best lower line */
   if (1) {
-    unsigned int best_s = (unsigned int) -1;
+    unsigned int best_s = UINT_MAX;
     bool best_inv = false;
     int best_i = 0;
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < bi.height - 1; i++)
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ block_best (const biimage_t &bi, bool *inverse)
 
   /* Find best left line */
   if (1) {
-    unsigned int best_s = (unsigned int) -1;
+    unsigned int best_s = UINT_MAX;
     bool best_inv = false;
     int best_i = 0;
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < bi.width - 1; i++)
diff --git a/util/options.cc b/util/options.cc
index 43ff90ad1..c7b3178c6 100644
--- a/util/options.cc
+++ b/util/options.cc
@@ -746,7 +746,7 @@ text_options_t::get_line (unsigned int *len)
       line = text;
       line_len = text_len;
     }
-    if (line_len == (unsigned int) -1)
+    if (line_len == UINT_MAX)
       line_len = strlen (line);
 
     if (!line_len) {
diff --git a/util/options.hh b/util/options.hh
index 9e22b4008..0fcc76e67 100644
--- a/util/options.hh
+++ b/util/options.hh
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ struct text_options_t : option_group_t
     fp = nullptr;
     gs = nullptr;
     line = nullptr;
-    line_len = (unsigned int) -1;
+    line_len = UINT_MAX;
 
     add_options (parser);
   }