diff --git a/io/bitreader.h b/io/bitreader.h
index 7990974..b8518bc 100644
--- a/io/bitreader.h
+++ b/io/bitreader.h
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ template <typename intType> intType BitReader::readBits(byte bitCount)
             m_bitsAvail = 8;
         }
         readAtOnce = std::min(bitCount, m_bitsAvail);
-        val = (val << readAtOnce) | (((*m_buffer) >> (m_bitsAvail -= readAtOnce)) & (0xFF >> (0x08 - readAtOnce)));
+        val = static_cast<intType>((val << readAtOnce) | (((*m_buffer) >> (m_bitsAvail -= readAtOnce)) & (0xFF >> (0x08 - readAtOnce))));
     }
     return val;
 }
diff --git a/tests/iotests.cpp b/tests/iotests.cpp
index cbad8c8..24f36b9 100644
--- a/tests/iotests.cpp
+++ b/tests/iotests.cpp
@@ -257,15 +257,15 @@ void IoTests::testBitReader()
     BitReader reader(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(testData), sizeof(testData));
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readBit() == 1);
     reader.skipBits(6);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.showBits<byte>(2) == 3);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readBits<byte>(2) == 3);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readBits<uint32>(32) == (0x103C4428 << 1));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<byte>(3), reader.showBits<byte>(2));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<byte>(3), reader.readBits<byte>(2));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<uint32>(0x103C4428 << 1), reader.readBits<uint32>(32));
     reader.align();
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readBits<byte>(8) == 0x44);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readUnsignedExpGolombCodedBits<byte>() == 7);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readSignedExpGolombCodedBits<sbyte>() == 4);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readBit() == 0);
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(reader.readBit() == 0);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<byte>(0x44), reader.readBits<byte>(8));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<byte>(7), reader.readUnsignedExpGolombCodedBits<byte>());
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<sbyte>(4), reader.readSignedExpGolombCodedBits<sbyte>());
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<byte>(0), reader.readBit());
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<byte>(0), reader.readBit());
     reader.skipBits(8 + 4);
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(4_st, reader.bitsAvailable());
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(static_cast<byte>(0xA), reader.readBits<byte>(4));