diff --git a/net/socket.c b/net/socket.c
index 11fe5f383f..5cd0b9abf7 100644
--- a/net/socket.c
+++ b/net/socket.c
@@ -154,6 +154,12 @@ static int net_socket_mcast_create(struct sockaddr_in *mcastaddr, struct in_addr
     struct ip_mreq imr;
     int fd;
     int val, ret;
+#ifdef __OpenBSD__
+    unsigned char loop;
+#else
+    int loop;
+#endif
+
     if (!IN_MULTICAST(ntohl(mcastaddr->sin_addr.s_addr))) {
 	fprintf(stderr, "qemu: error: specified mcastaddr \"%s\" (0x%08x) does not contain a multicast address\n",
 		inet_ntoa(mcastaddr->sin_addr),
@@ -197,9 +203,9 @@ static int net_socket_mcast_create(struct sockaddr_in *mcastaddr, struct in_addr
     }
 
     /* Force mcast msgs to loopback (eg. several QEMUs in same host */
-    val = 1;
+    loop = 1;
     ret=setsockopt(fd, IPPROTO_IP, IP_MULTICAST_LOOP,
-                   (const char *)&val, sizeof(val));
+                   (const char *)&loop, sizeof(loop));
     if (ret < 0) {
 	perror("setsockopt(SOL_IP, IP_MULTICAST_LOOP)");
 	goto fail;