diff --git a/gdb/linux-nat.c b/gdb/linux-nat.c
index 383ef58fa23..4f7b6f8194f 100644
--- a/gdb/linux-nat.c
+++ b/gdb/linux-nat.c
@@ -3909,18 +3909,26 @@ linux_proc_xfer_memory_partial_fd (int fd, int pid,
 
   gdb_assert (fd != -1);
 
-  /* Use pread64/pwrite64 if available, since they save a syscall and can
-     handle 64-bit offsets even on 32-bit platforms (for instance, SPARC
-     debugging a SPARC64 application).  */
+  /* Use pread64/pwrite64 if available, since they save a syscall and
+     can handle 64-bit offsets even on 32-bit platforms (for instance,
+     SPARC debugging a SPARC64 application).  But only use them if the
+     offset isn't so high that when cast to off_t it'd be negative, as
+     seen on SPARC64.  pread64/pwrite64 outright reject such offsets.
+     lseek does not.  */
 #ifdef HAVE_PREAD64
-  ret = (readbuf ? pread64 (fd, readbuf, len, offset)
-	 : pwrite64 (fd, writebuf, len, offset));
-#else
-  ret = lseek (fd, offset, SEEK_SET);
-  if (ret != -1)
-    ret = (readbuf ? read (fd, readbuf, len)
-	   : write (fd, writebuf, len));
+  if ((off_t) offset >= 0)
+    ret = (readbuf != nullptr
+	   ? pread64 (fd, readbuf, len, offset)
+	   : pwrite64 (fd, writebuf, len, offset));
+  else
 #endif
+    {
+      ret = lseek (fd, offset, SEEK_SET);
+      if (ret != -1)
+	ret = (readbuf != nullptr
+	       ? read (fd, readbuf, len)
+	       : write (fd, writebuf, len));
+    }
 
   if (ret == -1)
     {
diff --git a/gdbserver/linux-low.cc b/gdbserver/linux-low.cc
index 8ab16698632..651f219b738 100644
--- a/gdbserver/linux-low.cc
+++ b/gdbserver/linux-low.cc
@@ -5377,21 +5377,26 @@ proc_xfer_memory (CORE_ADDR memaddr, unsigned char *readbuf,
     {
       int bytes;
 
-      /* If pread64 is available, use it.  It's faster if the kernel
-	 supports it (only one syscall), and it's 64-bit safe even on
-	 32-bit platforms (for instance, SPARC debugging a SPARC64
-	 application).  */
+      /* Use pread64/pwrite64 if available, since they save a syscall
+	 and can handle 64-bit offsets even on 32-bit platforms (for
+	 instance, SPARC debugging a SPARC64 application).  But only
+	 use them if the offset isn't so high that when cast to off_t
+	 it'd be negative, as seen on SPARC64.  pread64/pwrite64
+	 outright reject such offsets.  lseek does not.  */
 #ifdef HAVE_PREAD64
-      bytes = (readbuf != nullptr
-	       ? pread64 (fd, readbuf, len, memaddr)
-	       : pwrite64 (fd, writebuf, len, memaddr));
-#else
-      bytes = -1;
-      if (lseek (fd, memaddr, SEEK_SET) != -1)
+      if ((off_t) memaddr >= 0)
 	bytes = (readbuf != nullptr
-		 ? read (fd, readbuf, len)
-		 : write (fd, writebuf, len));
+		 ? pread64 (fd, readbuf, len, memaddr)
+		 : pwrite64 (fd, writebuf, len, memaddr));
+      else
 #endif
+	{
+	  bytes = -1;
+	  if (lseek (fd, memaddr, SEEK_SET) != -1)
+	    bytes = (readbuf != nullptr
+		     ? read (fd, readbuf, len)
+		     : write (fd, writebuf, len));
+	}
 
       if (bytes < 0)
 	return errno;