diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/avatar/AvatarValidator.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/avatar/AvatarValidator.java
index 1ad955703..ce8ed9c0a 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/avatar/AvatarValidator.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/avatar/AvatarValidator.java
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class AvatarValidator implements MessageValidator {
 		// 0.0: Message Type, Version, Content-Type
 		checkSize(body, 3);
 		// Message Type
-		long messageType = body.getInt(0);
+		int messageType = body.getInt(0);
 		if (messageType != MSG_TYPE_UPDATE) throw new FormatException();
 		// Version
 		long version = body.getLong(1);
diff --git a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java
index 1d0a594fe..0a6a9c055 100644
--- a/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java
+++ b/briar-core/src/main/java/org/briarproject/briar/messaging/MessagingManagerImpl.java
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class MessagingManagerImpl implements MessagingManager, IncomingMessageHook,
 		try {
 			BdfDictionary metaDict = metadataParser.parse(meta);
 			// Message type is null for version 0.0 private messages
-			Long messageType = metaDict.getOptionalLong(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
+			Integer messageType = metaDict.getOptionalInt(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
 			if (messageType == null) {
 				incomingPrivateMessage(txn, m, metaDict, true, emptyList());
 			} else if (messageType == PRIVATE_MESSAGE) {
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ class MessagingManagerImpl implements MessagingManager, IncomingMessageHook,
 			if (meta == null) continue;
 			try {
 				// Message type is null for version 0.0 private messages
-				Long messageType = meta.getOptionalLong(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
+				Integer messageType = meta.getOptionalInt(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
 				if (messageType != null && messageType != PRIVATE_MESSAGE)
 					continue;
 				long timestamp = meta.getLong(MSG_KEY_TIMESTAMP);
@@ -453,7 +453,8 @@ class MessagingManagerImpl implements MessagingManager, IncomingMessageHook,
 			Map<MessageId, BdfDictionary> messages =
 					clientHelper.getMessageMetadataAsDictionary(txn, g);
 			for (Entry<MessageId, BdfDictionary> entry : messages.entrySet()) {
-				Long type = entry.getValue().getOptionalLong(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
+				Integer type =
+						entry.getValue().getOptionalInt(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
 				if (type == null || type == PRIVATE_MESSAGE)
 					result.add(entry.getKey());
 			}
@@ -527,7 +528,7 @@ class MessagingManagerImpl implements MessagingManager, IncomingMessageHook,
 		try {
 			BdfDictionary meta =
 					clientHelper.getMessageMetadataAsDictionary(txn, m);
-			Long messageType = meta.getOptionalLong(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
+			Integer messageType = meta.getOptionalInt(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
 			if (messageType != null && messageType == PRIVATE_MESSAGE) {
 				for (AttachmentHeader h : parseAttachmentHeaders(g, meta)) {
 					try {
@@ -554,7 +555,7 @@ class MessagingManagerImpl implements MessagingManager, IncomingMessageHook,
 			int unreadCount = 0;
 			for (Entry<MessageId, BdfDictionary> entry : metadata.entrySet()) {
 				BdfDictionary meta = entry.getValue();
-				Long messageType = meta.getOptionalLong(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
+				Integer messageType = meta.getOptionalInt(MSG_KEY_MSG_TYPE);
 				if (messageType == null || messageType == PRIVATE_MESSAGE) {
 					msgCount++;
 					if (!meta.getBoolean(MSG_KEY_READ)) unreadCount++;