diff --git a/MeshLib/ElementStatus.cpp b/MeshLib/ElementStatus.cpp
index a825faf7d57a6872e2038eea39623a8c7c1bcc7c..bd10860e5d52584e0a10cf9d764d4c1de59e12aa 100644
--- a/MeshLib/ElementStatus.cpp
+++ b/MeshLib/ElementStatus.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ ElementStatus::ElementStatus(Mesh const* const mesh, bool hasAnyInactive)
 }
 
 ElementStatus::ElementStatus(Mesh const* const mesh,
-                             std::vector<unsigned> const& vec_inactive_matIDs)
+                             std::vector<int> const& vec_inactive_matIDs)
     : ElementStatus(mesh, !vec_inactive_matIDs.empty())
 {
 	auto materialIds = mesh->getProperties().getPropertyVector<int>("MaterialIDs");
diff --git a/MeshLib/ElementStatus.h b/MeshLib/ElementStatus.h
index c3c196c584766b3951ab7989250d3812e184f240..43567ffb2b7f96e37869666ba5a537385e519043 100644
--- a/MeshLib/ElementStatus.h
+++ b/MeshLib/ElementStatus.h
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ public:
 	                       bool hasAnyInactive = false);
 
 	/// Constructor taking a vector of inactive material IDs
-	ElementStatus(MeshLib::Mesh const*const mesh, std::vector<unsigned> const& vec_inactive_matIDs);
+	ElementStatus(MeshLib::Mesh const* const mesh,
+	              std::vector<int> const& vec_inactive_matIDs);
 
 	/// Returns a vector of active element IDs
 	std::vector<MeshLib::Element*> const& getActiveElements() const;
diff --git a/Tests/MeshLib/TestElementStatus.cpp b/Tests/MeshLib/TestElementStatus.cpp
index 06dbfc0cdc29d2cbdccd835ca42d6af0d5dd90f2..5987ec55b00c625f45e34127d9322a082efb3e6f 100644
--- a/Tests/MeshLib/TestElementStatus.cpp
+++ b/Tests/MeshLib/TestElementStatus.cpp
@@ -53,14 +53,14 @@ TEST(MeshLib, ElementStatus)
 
 	{
 		// set material 1 to false
-		std::vector<unsigned> inactiveMat{1};
+		std::vector<int> inactiveMat{1};
 		MeshLib::ElementStatus status(mesh.get(), inactiveMat);
 		ASSERT_EQ (elements.size()-elements_per_side, status.getNActiveElements());
 	}
 
 	{
 		// set material 0 and 1 to false
-		std::vector<unsigned> inactiveMat{0, 1};
+		std::vector<int> inactiveMat{0, 1};
 		MeshLib::ElementStatus status(mesh.get(), inactiveMat);
 		ASSERT_EQ (elements.size()-(2*elements_per_side), status.getNActiveElements());