diff --git a/changes-entries/deflate-xlen-unsigned.txt b/changes-entries/deflate-xlen-unsigned.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2633b824d23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes-entries/deflate-xlen-unsigned.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+  *) mod_deflate: Read the gzip extra-field (FEXTRA) length as unsigned so a
+     length byte with the high bit set is no longer sign-extended, fixing
+     inflation of gzip streams that carry an extra field.
+     [arshiya tabasum <arshi bugqore.com>]
diff --git a/modules/filters/mod_deflate.c b/modules/filters/mod_deflate.c
index 5a541e73877..72b1e001ede 100644
--- a/modules/filters/mod_deflate.c
+++ b/modules/filters/mod_deflate.c
@@ -1053,7 +1053,7 @@ static apr_status_t consume_zlib_flags(deflate_ctx *ctx,
             if (!*len) {
                 return APR_INCOMPLETE;
             }
-            ctx->consume_len = (unsigned int)**data;
+            ctx->consume_len = (unsigned int)(unsigned char)**data;
             ctx->consume_pos++;
             ++*data;
             --*len;
@@ -1062,7 +1062,7 @@ static apr_status_t consume_zlib_flags(deflate_ctx *ctx,
             if (!*len) {
                 return APR_INCOMPLETE;
             }
-            ctx->consume_len += ((unsigned int)**data) << 8;
+            ctx->consume_len += ((unsigned int)(unsigned char)**data) << 8;
             ctx->consume_pos++;
             ++*data;
             --*len;