diff --git a/netcdf-char.patch b/netcdf-char.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f83648
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netcdf-char.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+diff -up netcdf-c-4.4.0/libsrc/ncx.c.char netcdf-c-4.4.0/libsrc/ncx.c
+--- netcdf-c-4.4.0/libsrc/ncx.c.char	2016-01-13 14:40:17.000000000 -0700
++++ netcdf-c-4.4.0/libsrc/ncx.c	2016-01-21 11:56:00.142834253 -0700
+@@ -17231,7 +17231,7 @@ ncx_putn_ulonglong_uint(void **xpp, size
+ /* text */
+ 
+ int
+-ncx_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t nelems, char *tp)
++ncx_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t nelems, signed char *tp)
+ {
+ 	(void) memcpy(tp, *xpp, nelems);
+ 	*xpp = (void *)((char *)(*xpp) + nelems);
+@@ -17240,7 +17240,7 @@ ncx_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t n
+ }
+ 
+ int
+-ncx_pad_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t nelems, char *tp)
++ncx_pad_getn_text(const void **xpp, size_t nelems, signed char *tp)
+ {
+ 	size_t rndup = nelems % X_ALIGN;
+ 
+@@ -17255,7 +17255,7 @@ ncx_pad_getn_text(const void **xpp, size
+ }
+ 
+ int
+-ncx_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nelems, const char *tp)
++ncx_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nelems, const signed char *tp)
+ {
+ 	(void) memcpy(*xpp, tp, nelems);
+ 	*xpp = (void *)((char *)(*xpp) + nelems);
+@@ -17265,7 +17265,7 @@ ncx_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nelems,
+ }
+ 
+ int
+-ncx_pad_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nelems, const char *tp)
++ncx_pad_putn_text(void **xpp, size_t nelems, const signed char *tp)
+ {
+ 	size_t rndup = nelems % X_ALIGN;
+ 
diff --git a/netcdf.spec b/netcdf.spec
index ab5f185..ec25dde 100644
--- a/netcdf.spec
+++ b/netcdf.spec
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ License:        NetCDF
 URL:            http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/
 Source0:        https://github.com/Unidata/netcdf-c/archive/v%{version}.tar.gz#/%{name}-%{version}.tar.gz
 #Source0:        http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/netcdf/ftp/netcdf-%{version}.tar.gz
+# Fix inconsistent char definitions
+Patch0:         netcdf-char.patch
 
 BuildRequires:  chrpath
 BuildRequires:  doxygen
@@ -330,6 +332,7 @@ done
 %changelog
 * Thu Jan 21 2016 Orion Poplawski <orion@cora.nwra.com> - 4.4.0-1
 - Update to 4.4.0
+- Add patch to fix incorrect char definitions
 
 * Sat Nov 07 2015 Rex Dieter <rdieter@fedoraproject.org> 4.3.3.1-7
 - rebuild (hdf)