diff --git a/include/poet/DHT_Wrapper.hpp b/include/poet/DHT_Wrapper.hpp
index 81fedddc2..a9959e2f5 100644
--- a/include/poet/DHT_Wrapper.hpp
+++ b/include/poet/DHT_Wrapper.hpp
@@ -36,9 +36,8 @@ extern "C" {
 namespace poet {
 
 using DHT_Keyelement = struct keyelem {
-  std::uint8_t sign : 1;
-  std::int8_t exp : 7;
-  std::uint64_t significant : 56;
+  std::int8_t exp : 8;
+  std::int64_t significant : 56;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/DHT_Wrapper.cpp b/src/DHT_Wrapper.cpp
index 26c1a2db3..d053a28fe 100644
--- a/src/DHT_Wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/DHT_Wrapper.cpp
@@ -37,10 +37,9 @@ using namespace std;
 
 inline DHT_Keyelement round_key_element(double value, std::uint32_t signif) {
   std::int8_t exp = (std::int8_t)std::floor(std::log10(std::fabs(value)));
-  std::uint64_t significant = value * std::pow(10, signif - exp);
+  std::int64_t significant = value * std::pow(10, signif - exp);
 
   DHT_Keyelement elem;
-  elem.sign = value < 0.;
   elem.exp = exp;
   elem.significant = significant;