diff --git a/src/auth/digest/Config.cc b/src/auth/digest/Config.cc

index 4a9e762..1008ca6 100644

--- a/src/auth/digest/Config.cc

+++ b/src/auth/digest/Config.cc

@@ -85,9 +85,6 @@ static void authenticateDigestNonceDelete(digest_nonce_h * nonce);

 static void authenticateDigestNonceSetup(void);

 static void authDigestNonceEncode(digest_nonce_h * nonce);

 static void authDigestNonceLink(digest_nonce_h * nonce);

-#if NOT_USED

-static int authDigestNonceLinks(digest_nonce_h * nonce);

-#endif

 static void authDigestNonceUserUnlink(digest_nonce_h * nonce);

 static void

@@ -276,21 +273,10 @@ authDigestNonceLink(digest_nonce_h * nonce)

 {

     assert(nonce != NULL);

     ++nonce->references;

+    assert(nonce->references != 0); // no overflows

     debugs(29, 9, "nonce '" << nonce << "' now at '" << nonce->references << "'.");

 }

-#if NOT_USED

-static int

-authDigestNonceLinks(digest_nonce_h * nonce)

-{

-    if (!nonce)

-        return -1;

-

-    return nonce->references;

-}

-

-#endif

-

 void

 authDigestNonceUnlink(digest_nonce_h * nonce)

 {

diff --git a/src/auth/digest/Config.h b/src/auth/digest/Config.h

index 8baeb31..c7b353d 100644

--- a/src/auth/digest/Config.h

+++ b/src/auth/digest/Config.h

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ struct _digest_nonce_h : public hash_link {

     /* number of uses we've seen of this nonce */

     unsigned long nc;

     /* reference count */

-    short references;

+    uint64_t references;

     /* the auth_user this nonce has been tied to */

     Auth::Digest::User *user;

     /* has this nonce been invalidated ? */