diff --git a/bfd/ChangeLog b/bfd/ChangeLog
index 14aebd93f71..40f4b663642 100644
--- a/bfd/ChangeLog
+++ b/bfd/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+2019-12-20  Alan Modra  <amodra@gmail.com>
+
+	* xtensa-isa.c (xtensa_insnbuf_from_chars): Avoid signed overflow.
+
 2019-12-20  Alan Modra  <amodra@gmail.com>
 
 	* libhppa.h (hppa_field_adjust, bfd_hppa_insn2fmt): Delete forward
diff --git a/bfd/xtensa-isa.c b/bfd/xtensa-isa.c
index 172de6f41e9..9ddc6cd8444 100644
--- a/bfd/xtensa-isa.c
+++ b/bfd/xtensa-isa.c
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ xtensa_insnbuf_from_chars (xtensa_isa isa,
       int word_inx = byte_to_word_index (i);
       int bit_inx = byte_to_bit_index (i);
 
-      insn[word_inx] |= (*cp & 0xff) << bit_inx;
+      insn[word_inx] |= (unsigned) (*cp & 0xff) << bit_inx;
     }
 }