diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index e99335d..41ecf91 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ pub mod argument {
         /// need to null terminate a string to print it, you can skip that step.
         String(&'a CStr),
         /// `c`
-        Char(u8),
+        Char(c_char),
         /// `x`
         Hex(UnsignedInt),
         /// `X`
diff --git a/src/output.rs b/src/output.rs
index 3853935..70f0e69 100644
--- a/src/output.rs
+++ b/src/output.rs
@@ -274,9 +274,9 @@ pub fn fmt_write(w: &mut impl fmt::Write) -> impl FnMut(Argument) -> c_int + '_
             },
             Specifier::Char(data) => {
                 if flags.contains(Flags::LEFT_ALIGN) {
-                    write!(w, "{:width$}", data as char, width = width as usize)
+                    write!(w, "{:width$}", data as u8 as char, width = width as usize)
                 } else {
-                    write!(w, "{:>width$}", data as char, width = width as usize)
+                    write!(w, "{:>width$}", data as u8 as char, width = width as usize)
                 }
             }
             Specifier::Pointer(data) => {
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index 1a79348..ef14622 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ impl Length {
     unsafe fn parse_signed(self, args: &mut VaList) -> SignedInt {
         match self {
             Length::Int => SignedInt::Int(args.arg()),
-            Length::Char => SignedInt::Char(args.arg::<i32>() as i8),
-            Length::Short => SignedInt::Short(args.arg::<i32>() as i16),
+            Length::Char => SignedInt::Char(args.arg::<c_int>() as c_schar),
+            Length::Short => SignedInt::Short(args.arg::<c_int>() as c_short),
             Length::Long => SignedInt::Long(args.arg()),
             Length::LongLong => SignedInt::LongLong(args.arg()),
             // for some reason, these exist as different options, yet produce the same output
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ impl Length {
     unsafe fn parse_unsigned(self, args: &mut VaList) -> UnsignedInt {
         match self {
             Length::Int => UnsignedInt::Int(args.arg()),
-            Length::Char => UnsignedInt::Char(args.arg::<u32>() as u8),
-            Length::Short => UnsignedInt::Short(args.arg::<u32>() as u16),
+            Length::Char => UnsignedInt::Char(args.arg::<c_uint>() as c_uchar),
+            Length::Short => UnsignedInt::Short(args.arg::<c_uint>() as c_ushort),
             Length::Long => UnsignedInt::Long(args.arg()),
             Length::LongLong => UnsignedInt::LongLong(args.arg()),
             // for some reason, these exist as different options, yet produce the same output
@@ -197,7 +197,21 @@ pub unsafe fn format(
                         Specifier::String(CStr::from_ptr(arg))
                     }
                 }
-                b'c' => Specifier::Char(args.arg::<u32>() as u8),
+                b'c' => {
+                    trait CharToInt {
+                        type IntType;
+                    }
+
+                    impl CharToInt for c_schar {
+                        type IntType = c_int;
+                    }
+
+                    impl CharToInt for c_uchar {
+                        type IntType = c_uint;
+                    }
+
+                    Specifier::Char(args.arg::<<c_char as CharToInt>::IntType>() as c_char)
+                }
                 b'p' => Specifier::Pointer(args.arg()),
                 b'n' => Specifier::WriteBytesWritten(written, args.arg()),
                 _ => return -1,