diff --git a/crypto/ecdsa.c b/crypto/ecdsa.c
index 3b9873f56b0a64c47fbd63acbab9b59482f1dbd1..4a0ca93c99eaaaa14366d26065761489d35eb7b9 100644
--- a/crypto/ecdsa.c
+++ b/crypto/ecdsa.c
@@ -35,29 +35,24 @@ static int ecdsa_get_signature_rs(u64 *dest, size_t hdrlen, unsigned char tag,
 				  const void *value, size_t vlen, unsigned int ndigits)
 {
 	size_t bufsize = ndigits * sizeof(u64);
-	ssize_t diff = vlen - bufsize;
 	const char *d = value;
 
-	if (!value || !vlen)
+	if (!value || !vlen || vlen > bufsize + 1)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	/* diff = 0: 'value' has exacly the right size
-	 * diff > 0: 'value' has too many bytes; one leading zero is allowed that
-	 *           makes the value a positive integer; error on more
-	 * diff < 0: 'value' is missing leading zeros
+	/*
+	 * vlen may be 1 byte larger than bufsize due to a leading zero byte
+	 * (necessary if the most significant bit of the integer is set).
 	 */
-	if (diff > 0) {
+	if (vlen > bufsize) {
 		/* skip over leading zeros that make 'value' a positive int */
 		if (*d == 0) {
 			vlen -= 1;
-			diff--;
 			d++;
-		}
-		if (diff)
+		} else {
 			return -EINVAL;
+		}
 	}
-	if (-diff >= bufsize)
-		return -EINVAL;
 
 	ecc_digits_from_bytes(d, vlen, dest, ndigits);