diff --git a/thrust/detail/tuple.inl b/thrust/detail/tuple.inl
index 7d9841fd2..729d84e41 100644
--- a/thrust/detail/tuple.inl
+++ b/thrust/detail/tuple.inl
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ template <
 class tuple;
 
 // forward declaration of tuple_element
-template<int i, typename T> struct tuple_element;
+template<size_t N, class T> struct tuple_element;
 
 // specializations for tuple_element
 template<class T>
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ template<class T>
   typedef typename T::head_type type;
 }; // end tuple_element<0,T>
 
-template<int N, class T>
+template<size_t N, class T>
   struct tuple_element<N, const T>
 {
   private:
diff --git a/thrust/pair.h b/thrust/pair.h
index 48da892c7..9505a2962 100644
--- a/thrust/pair.h
+++ b/thrust/pair.h
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ template <typename T1, typename T2>
  *  \tparam N This parameter selects the member of interest.
  *  \tparam T A \c pair type of interest.
  */
-template<int N, typename T> struct tuple_element;
+template<size_t N, class T> struct tuple_element;
 
 
 /*! This convenience metafunction is included for compatibility with
diff --git a/thrust/tuple.h b/thrust/tuple.h
index 930f90326..45df2be6e 100644
--- a/thrust/tuple.h
+++ b/thrust/tuple.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ struct null_type;
  *  \see pair
  *  \see tuple
  */
-template<int N, class T>
+template<size_t N, class T>
   struct tuple_element
 {
   private: