diff --git a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h
index c802d377811..92421b0eaa9 100644
--- a/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h
+++ b/Mesh_3/include/CGAL/Mesh_vertex_base_3.h
@@ -140,12 +140,12 @@ public:
     cache_validity = true;
   }
 
-  int cached_number_of_incident_facets() const
+  std::size_t cached_number_of_incident_facets() const
   {
     return number_of_incident_facets_;
   }
     
-  int cached_number_of_components() const
+  std::size_t cached_number_of_components() const
   {
     return number_of_components_;
   }
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ public:
   }
 private:
 
-  int number_of_incident_facets_;
-  int number_of_components_; // number of components in the adjacency
+  std::size_t number_of_incident_facets_;
+  std::size_t number_of_components_; // number of components in the adjacency
   // graph of incident facets (in complex)