diff --git a/libfetch/common.h b/libfetch/common.h
index b8674528..eb08b360 100644
--- a/libfetch/common.h
+++ b/libfetch/common.h
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ int		 fetch_netrc_auth(struct url *url);
 int		 fetch_no_proxy_match(const char *);
 int		 fetch_urlpath_safe(char);
 
-static inline void _fetch_seterr(unsigned char category, int code) {
-	fetchLastErrCode = fetch_err_make(category, code);
+static inline void _fetch_seterr(unsigned int category, int code) {
+	fetchLastErrCode = (struct fetch_error) { .category = category, .code = code };
 }
 static inline void fetch_syserr(void) {
 	_fetch_seterr(FETCH_ERRCAT_ERRNO, errno);
diff --git a/libfetch/fetch.c b/libfetch/fetch.c
index d9c301fc..c43081da 100644
--- a/libfetch/fetch.c
+++ b/libfetch/fetch.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 
 fetch_redirect_t fetchRedirectMethod;
 auth_t	 fetchAuthMethod;
-long	 fetchLastErrCode;
+struct fetch_error fetchLastErrCode;
 int	 fetchTimeout;
 volatile int	 fetchRestartCalls = 1;
 int	 fetchDebug;
diff --git a/libfetch/fetch.h b/libfetch/fetch.h
index 6dc8b63f..739cfc3b 100644
--- a/libfetch/fetch.h
+++ b/libfetch/fetch.h
@@ -103,14 +103,10 @@ enum {
 	FETCH_ERR_TLS_HANDSHAKE,
 };
 
-#define fetch_err_make(category, code) ((((unsigned long)category) << 28) + (unsigned long)code)
-
-static inline unsigned char fetch_err_category(unsigned long err) {
-	return (unsigned char)(err >> 28);
-}
-static inline int fetch_err_code(unsigned long err) {
-	return (int)(err & 0xfffffff);
-}
+struct fetch_error {
+	unsigned int category;
+	int code;
+};
 
 #if defined(__cplusplus)
 extern "C" {
@@ -172,7 +168,7 @@ typedef int (*auth_t)(struct url *);
 extern auth_t		 fetchAuthMethod;
 
 /* Last error code */
-extern long		 fetchLastErrCode;
+extern struct fetch_error fetchLastErrCode;
 
 /* I/O timeout */
 extern int		 fetchTimeout;
diff --git a/src/io_url_libfetch.c b/src/io_url_libfetch.c
index 11bf992a..c77e3c2f 100644
--- a/src/io_url_libfetch.c
+++ b/src/io_url_libfetch.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ static int fetch_maperr(const struct maperr *map, size_t mapsz, int ec, int defa
 	return default_apkerr;
 }
 
-static int fetch_maperror(long ec)
+static int fetch_maperror(struct fetch_error fe)
 {
 	static const struct maperr fetch_err[] = {
 		{ FETCH_OK,			0, },
@@ -73,19 +73,19 @@ static int fetch_maperror(long ec)
 		{ 504, APKE_HTTP_504_GATEWAY_TIMEOUT },
 	};
 
-	switch (fetch_err_category(ec)) {
+	switch (fe.category) {
 	case FETCH_ERRCAT_FETCH:
-		return fetch_maperr(fetch_err, ARRAY_SIZE(fetch_err), fetch_err_code(ec), EIO);
+		return fetch_maperr(fetch_err, ARRAY_SIZE(fetch_err), fe.code, EIO);
 	case FETCH_ERRCAT_URL:
 		return APKE_URL_FORMAT;
 	case FETCH_ERRCAT_ERRNO:
-		return fetch_err_code(ec);
+		return fe.code;
 	case FETCH_ERRCAT_NETDB:
-		return fetch_maperr(netdb_err, ARRAY_SIZE(netdb_err), fetch_err_code(ec), APKE_DNS_FAIL);
+		return fetch_maperr(netdb_err, ARRAY_SIZE(netdb_err), fe.code, APKE_DNS_FAIL);
 	case FETCH_ERRCAT_HTTP:
-		return fetch_maperr(http_err, ARRAY_SIZE(http_err), fetch_err_code(ec), APKE_HTTP_UNKNOWN);
+		return fetch_maperr(http_err, ARRAY_SIZE(http_err), fe.code, APKE_HTTP_UNKNOWN);
 	case FETCH_ERRCAT_TLS:
-		return fetch_maperr(tls_err, ARRAY_SIZE(tls_err), fetch_err_code(ec), APKE_TLS_ERROR);
+		return fetch_maperr(tls_err, ARRAY_SIZE(tls_err), fe.code, APKE_TLS_ERROR);
 	default:
 		return EIO;
 	}