diff --git a/builtin/pack-objects.c b/builtin/pack-objects.c
index 27048bbb4d..ee3eeee7ab 100644
--- a/builtin/pack-objects.c
+++ b/builtin/pack-objects.c
@@ -260,8 +260,8 @@ static int exclude_promisor_objects_best_effort;
 
 static int use_delta_islands;
 
-static unsigned long delta_cache_size = 0;
-static unsigned long max_delta_cache_size = DEFAULT_DELTA_CACHE_SIZE;
+static size_t delta_cache_size = 0;
+static size_t max_delta_cache_size = DEFAULT_DELTA_CACHE_SIZE;
 static unsigned long cache_max_small_delta_size = 1000;
 
 static unsigned long window_memory_limit = 0;
@@ -2687,8 +2687,8 @@ struct unpacked {
 	unsigned depth;
 };
 
-static int delta_cacheable(unsigned long src_size, unsigned long trg_size,
-			   unsigned long delta_size)
+static int delta_cacheable(size_t src_size, size_t trg_size,
+			   size_t delta_size)
 {
 	if (max_delta_cache_size && delta_cache_size + delta_size > max_delta_cache_size)
 		return 0;
@@ -3684,7 +3684,7 @@ static int git_pack_config(const char *k, const char *v,
 		return 0;
 	}
 	if (!strcmp(k, "pack.deltacachesize")) {
-		max_delta_cache_size = git_config_int(k, v, ctx->kvi);
+		max_delta_cache_size = git_config_size_t(k, v, ctx->kvi);
 		return 0;
 	}
 	if (!strcmp(k, "pack.deltacachelimit")) {
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 6a0de86e3a..010a58d307 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -1268,6 +1268,15 @@ ssize_t git_config_ssize_t(const char *name, const char *value,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+size_t git_config_size_t(const char *name, const char *value,
+			 const struct key_value_info *kvi)
+{
+	size_t ret;
+	if (!git_parse_size_t(value, &ret))
+		die_bad_number(name, value, kvi);
+	return ret;
+}
+
 double git_config_double(const char *name, const char *value,
 			 const struct key_value_info *kvi)
 {
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 31fe3e2961..b66dd08007 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -282,6 +282,9 @@ unsigned long git_config_ulong(const char *, const char *,
 ssize_t git_config_ssize_t(const char *, const char *,
 			   const struct key_value_info *);
 
+size_t git_config_size_t(const char *, const char *,
+			 const struct key_value_info *);
+
 /**
  * Identically to `git_config_double`, but for double-precision floating point
  * values.
diff --git a/parse.c b/parse.c
index d77f28046a..266bbd539b 100644
--- a/parse.c
+++ b/parse.c
@@ -134,6 +134,15 @@ int git_parse_ssize_t(const char *value, ssize_t *ret)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+int git_parse_size_t(const char *value, size_t *ret)
+{
+	uintmax_t tmp;
+	if (!git_parse_unsigned(value, &tmp, maximum_signed_value_of_type(size_t)))
+		return 0;
+	*ret = tmp;
+	return 1;
+}
+
 int git_parse_double(const char *value, double *ret)
 {
 	char *end;
diff --git a/parse.h b/parse.h
index a6dd37c4cb..db742f35fb 100644
--- a/parse.h
+++ b/parse.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 int git_parse_signed(const char *value, intmax_t *ret, intmax_t max);
 int git_parse_unsigned(const char *value, uintmax_t *ret, uintmax_t max);
 int git_parse_ssize_t(const char *, ssize_t *);
+int git_parse_size_t(const char *, size_t *);
 int git_parse_ulong(const char *, unsigned long *);
 int git_parse_uint(const char *value, unsigned int *ret);
 int git_parse_int(const char *value, int *ret);