diff --git a/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/evaluator.cpp b/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/evaluator.cpp
index f65dcc90f..29522c42e 100644
--- a/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/evaluator.cpp
+++ b/plugins/libimhex/source/pattern_language/evaluator.cpp
@@ -1021,7 +1021,7 @@ namespace hex::pl {
     PatternData* Evaluator::evaluateStaticArray(ASTNodeArrayVariableDecl *node) {
         std::optional<u32> color;
 
-        size_t arraySize = 0;
+        ssize_t arraySize = 0;
 
         auto startOffset = this->m_currOffset;
         PatternData *templatePattern;
@@ -1076,6 +1076,9 @@ namespace hex::pl {
             }
         }
 
+        if (arraySize < 0)
+            this->getConsole().abortEvaluation("array size cannot be negative");
+
         if (auto typeDecl = dynamic_cast<ASTNodeTypeDecl*>(node->getType()); typeDecl != nullptr) {
             if (auto builtinType = dynamic_cast<ASTNodeBuiltinType *>(typeDecl->getType()); builtinType != nullptr) {
                 if (builtinType->getType() == Token::ValueType::Padding)
@@ -1143,9 +1146,12 @@ namespace hex::pl {
                 using Type = std::remove_cvref_t<decltype(value)>;
                 if constexpr (std::is_floating_point_v<Type>)
                     this->getConsole().abortEvaluation("bitfield entry size must be an integer value");
-                return static_cast<u64>(value);
+                return static_cast<ssize_t>(value);
             }, valueNode->getValue());
 
+            if (arraySize < 0)
+                this->getConsole().abortEvaluation("array size cannot be negative");
+
             for (u64 i = 0; i < arraySize; i++) {
                 addEntry(i);
             }