diff --git a/src/server/rds/data/cmd_sarray.c b/src/server/rds/data/cmd_sarray.c
index c1ba0424f..d277a1ef7 100644
--- a/src/server/rds/data/cmd_sarray.c
+++ b/src/server/rds/data/cmd_sarray.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ cmd_sarray_create(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req,
     item_rstatus_e istatus;
     uint32_t ntoken;
     bool bounded;
-    int64_t esize, low, high;
+    uint64_t esize, low, high;
 
     ntoken = array_nelem(req->token);
     ASSERT(ntoken >= cmd->narg);
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ cmd_sarray_create(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req,
 
         return;
     }
-    if (!req_get_int(&esize, req, SARRAY_ESIZE)) {
+    if (!req_get_uint(&esize, req, SARRAY_ESIZE)) {
         compose_rsp_client_err(rsp, reply, cmd, key);
         INCR(process_metrics, sarray_create_ex);
 
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ cmd_sarray_create(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req,
     }
 
     /* get low & high watermarks */
-    if (cmd->nopt > 0 && (!req_get_int(&low, req, SARRAY_WML) ||
-                !req_get_int(&high, req, SARRAY_WMH))) {
+    if (cmd->nopt > 0 && (!req_get_uint(&low, req, SARRAY_WML) ||
+                !req_get_uint(&high, req, SARRAY_WMH))) {
         compose_rsp_client_err(rsp, reply, cmd, key);
         INCR(process_metrics, sarray_create_ex);
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ cmd_sarray_find(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req, const struct
     struct bstring *key = &null_key;
     struct item *it;
     uint32_t idx;
-    int64_t val;
+    uint64_t val;
     sarray_rstatus_e status;
 
     ASSERT(array_nelem(req->token) == cmd->narg);
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ cmd_sarray_find(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req, const struct
 
         return;
     }
-    if (!req_get_int(&val, req, SARRAY_VAL)) {
+    if (!req_get_uint(&val, req, SARRAY_VAL)) {
         compose_rsp_client_err(rsp, reply, cmd, key);
         INCR(process_metrics, sarray_find_ex);
 
@@ -372,7 +372,8 @@ cmd_sarray_insert(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req, const struct
     struct bstring *key = &null_key;
     struct item *it;
     uint32_t nval = 0, esize;
-    int64_t delta, val, wml, wmh, nentry, ninserted = 0;
+    int64_t delta, wml, wmh, nentry, ninserted = 0;
+    uint64_t val;
     sarray_p sa;
     sarray_rstatus_e status;
 
@@ -397,13 +398,14 @@ cmd_sarray_insert(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req, const struct
 
     /* parse and store all values to be inserted in array vals */
     for (uint32_t i = SARRAY_VAL; i < array_nelem(req->token); ++i, ++nval) {
-        if (!req_get_int(&val, req, i)) {
+        if (!req_get_uint(&val, req, i)) {
+            log_debug("the value at offset %"PRIu32" is invalid", i);
             compose_rsp_client_err(rsp, reply, cmd, key);
             INCR(process_metrics, sarray_insert_ex);
 
             return;
         } else {
-            vals[nval] = (uint64_t)val;
+            vals[nval] = val;
         }
     }
 
@@ -442,6 +444,7 @@ cmd_sarray_insert(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req, const struct
     for (uint32_t i = 0; i < nval; ++i) {
         status = sarray_insert(sa, vals[i]);
         if (status == SARRAY_EINVALID) {
+            log_debug("value %"PRIu32" out of %"PRIu32" is invalid", i, nval);
             compose_rsp_client_err(rsp, reply, cmd, key);
             INCR(process_metrics, sarray_insert_ex);
             return;
@@ -530,6 +533,7 @@ cmd_sarray_remove(struct response *rsp, const struct request *req, const struct
             break;
         case SARRAY_EINVALID:
             /* client error, bad argument */
+            log_debug("value %"PRIu32" out of %"PRIu32" is invalid", i, nval);
             compose_rsp_client_err(rsp, reply, cmd, key);
             INCR(process_metrics, sarray_remove_ex);
 
diff --git a/src/server/rds/data/shared.h b/src/server/rds/data/shared.h
index 5b28ccda6..531ba0d5f 100644
--- a/src/server/rds/data/shared.h
+++ b/src/server/rds/data/shared.h
@@ -127,3 +127,19 @@ req_get_int(int64_t *i, const struct request *req, uint32_t offset)
 
     return true;
 }
+
+static inline bool
+req_get_uint(uint64_t *u, const struct request *req, uint32_t offset)
+{
+    struct bstring *bstr;
+
+    if (!req_get_bstr(&bstr, req, offset)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (bstring_atou64(u, bstr) != CC_OK) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}