diff --git a/fortran/eccodes_constants.h b/fortran/eccodes_constants.h
index 94daa6603..bb1e4030f 100644
--- a/fortran/eccodes_constants.h
+++ b/fortran/eccodes_constants.h
@@ -65,3 +65,5 @@
   integer, parameter,public :: CODES_END_OF_FILE                                   = -1
   integer, parameter,public :: CODES_SUCCESS                                       = 0
   integer, parameter,public :: CODES_NULL                                          = -1
+  real(8),    parameter,public :: CODES_MISSING_DOUBLE                              = -1.D+100
+  integer(4), parameter,public :: CODES_MISSING_LONG                                = 2147483647
diff --git a/fortran/grib_api_constants.h b/fortran/grib_api_constants.h
index 67d94151d..a011688fc 100644
--- a/fortran/grib_api_constants.h
+++ b/fortran/grib_api_constants.h
@@ -65,3 +65,5 @@
   integer, parameter,public :: GRIB_END_OF_FILE                                   = -1
   integer, parameter,public :: GRIB_SUCCESS                                       = 0
   integer, parameter,public :: GRIB_NULL                                          = -1
+  real(8),    parameter,public :: GRIB_MISSING_DOUBLE                              = -1.D+100
+  integer(4), parameter,public :: GRIB_MISSING_LONG                                = 2147483647
diff --git a/src/grib_api.h b/src/grib_api.h
index be548d33d..ce368773f 100644
--- a/src/grib_api.h
+++ b/src/grib_api.h
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ Log mode for information for processing information
 
 /* Missing values */
 /* #define GRIB_MISSING_LONG   0x80000001*/
-#define GRIB_MISSING_LONG 0xffffffff
+/* #define GRIB_MISSING_LONG 0xffffffff */
+#define GRIB_MISSING_LONG 2147483647
 #define GRIB_MISSING_DOUBLE -1e+100
 
 /*set spec flags*/
diff --git a/tests/bufr_filter.sh b/tests/bufr_filter.sh
index 96e7654c9..797d80307 100755
--- a/tests/bufr_filter.sh
+++ b/tests/bufr_filter.sh
@@ -223,21 +223,21 @@ brightnessTemperature={-1e+100,290.8,-1e+100,289.7,289.5,289.5,289.4,287.5,
 291.6,291.4,291.4,291.4,-1e+100,291.3,291.3,290.8,
 291.8,290.8,291.3,291.9,291.9,292.5,292.6,290.8
 }
-brightnessTemperature->percentConfidence={4294967295,0,4294967295,55,50,83,83,1,
-0,17,0,4294967295,4294967295,4294967295,4294967295,4294967295,
-48,16,29,14,11,15,4294967295,39,
-21,0,0,4294967295,9,4,20,86,
+brightnessTemperature->percentConfidence={2147483647,0,2147483647,55,50,83,83,1,
+0,17,0,2147483647,2147483647,2147483647,2147483647,2147483647,
+48,16,29,14,11,15,2147483647,39,
+21,0,0,2147483647,9,4,20,86,
 71,96,96,68,0,0,0,96,
 0,95,66,57,96,88,95,0,
 97,76,94,90,92,94,89,77,
 6,48,10,4,10,23,59,45,
-94,3,9,58,64,4294967295,61,84,
+94,3,9,58,64,2147483647,61,84,
 85,27,6,47,39,65,0,0,
 5,48,3,45,71,26,5,71,
 64,67,57,88,90,0,96,98,
 99,89,86,97,71,50,55,82,
 95,83,51,97,97,86,59,87,
-77,46,1,0,4294967295,0,0,0,
+77,46,1,0,2147483647,0,0,0,
 0,0,2,0,1,0,1,0
 }
 brightnessTemperature->firstOrderStatisticalValue={-1e+100,0,-1e+100,0.7,0.6,0.5,0.6,0.3,