diff --git a/sys/boot/ficl/dict.c b/sys/boot/ficl/dict.c
index e5fdb2be6c09..f5b9f15b31db 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ficl/dict.c
+++ b/sys/boot/ficl/dict.c
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@
 #include "ficl.h"
 
 /* Dictionary on-demand resizing control variables */
-unsigned int dictThreshold;
-unsigned int dictIncrease;
+CELL dictThreshold;
+CELL dictIncrease;
 
 
 static char *dictCopyName(FICL_DICT *pDict, STRINGINFO si);
@@ -774,11 +774,12 @@ void hashReset(FICL_HASH *pHash)
 
 void dictCheckThreshold(FICL_DICT* dp)
 {
-    if( dictCellsAvail(dp) < dictThreshold ) {
-        dp->dict = ficlMalloc( dictIncrease * sizeof (CELL) );
+    if( dictCellsAvail(dp) < dictThreshold.u ) {
+        dp->dict = ficlMalloc( dictIncrease.u * sizeof (CELL) );
         assert(dp->dict);
         dp->here = dp->dict;
-        dp->size = dictIncrease;
+        dp->size = dictIncrease.u;
+        dictAlign(dp);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/boot/ficl/ficl.h b/sys/boot/ficl/ficl.h
index 057b08ed2c69..b0ee3b20a382 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ficl/ficl.h
+++ b/sys/boot/ficl/ficl.h
@@ -1011,8 +1011,8 @@ WORDKIND   ficlWordClassify(FICL_WORD *pFW);
 /*
 ** Dictionary on-demand resizing
 */
-extern unsigned int dictThreshold;
-extern unsigned int dictIncrease;
+extern CELL dictThreshold;
+extern CELL dictIncrease;
 
 /*
 ** Various FreeBSD goodies