diff --git a/lib/krb5/rd_cred.c b/lib/krb5/rd_cred.c
index e38882525..b24973978 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/rd_cred.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/rd_cred.c
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ krb5_rd_cred(krb5_context context,
 
 	if (enc_krb_cred_part.timestamp == NULL ||
 	    enc_krb_cred_part.usec      == NULL ||
-	    labs(*enc_krb_cred_part.timestamp - sec)
+	    krb5_time_abs(*enc_krb_cred_part.timestamp, sec)
 	    > context->max_skew) {
 	    krb5_clear_error_message (context);
 	    ret = KRB5KRB_AP_ERR_SKEW;
diff --git a/lib/krb5/rd_priv.c b/lib/krb5/rd_priv.c
index 3e49dd8b4..ab1a165d5 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/rd_priv.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/rd_priv.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ krb5_rd_priv(krb5_context context,
 	krb5_timeofday (context, &sec);
 	if (part.timestamp == NULL ||
 	    part.usec      == NULL ||
-	    labs(*part.timestamp - sec) > context->max_skew) {
+	    krb5_time_abs(*part.timestamp, sec) > context->max_skew) {
 	    krb5_clear_error_message (context);
 	    ret = KRB5KRB_AP_ERR_SKEW;
 	    goto failure_part;
diff --git a/lib/krb5/rd_req.c b/lib/krb5/rd_req.c
index dd4585f7a..6054f039d 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/rd_req.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/rd_req.c
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ krb5_verify_ap_req2(krb5_context context,
 
 	krb5_timeofday (context, &now);
 
-	if (labs(ac->authenticator->ctime - now) > context->max_skew) {
+	if (krb5_time_abs(ac->authenticator->ctime, now) > context->max_skew) {
 	    ret = KRB5KRB_AP_ERR_SKEW;
 	    krb5_clear_error_message (context);
 	    goto out;
diff --git a/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c b/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c
index cfe1e9829..24ed636d4 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/rd_safe.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ krb5_rd_safe(krb5_context context,
 
 	if (safe.safe_body.timestamp == NULL ||
 	    safe.safe_body.usec      == NULL ||
-	    labs(*safe.safe_body.timestamp - sec) > context->max_skew) {
+	    krb5_time_abs(*safe.safe_body.timestamp, sec) > context->max_skew) {
 	    ret = KRB5KRB_AP_ERR_SKEW;
 	    krb5_clear_error_message (context);
 	    goto failure;
diff --git a/lib/krb5/test_time.c b/lib/krb5/test_time.c
index 36c78088b..9c6d1cc9a 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/test_time.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/test_time.c
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ check_set_time(krb5_context context)
     if (ret)
 	krb5_err(context, 1, ret, "krb5_us_timeofday");
 
-    diff2 = labs(sec - tv.tv_sec);
+    diff2 = krb5_time_abs(sec, tv.tv_sec);
 
     if (diff2 < 9 || diff > 11)
 	krb5_errx(context, 1, "set time error: diff: %ld",
-		  labs(sec - tv.tv_sec));
+		  krb5_time_abs(sec, tv.tv_sec));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/lib/krb5/ticket.c b/lib/krb5/ticket.c
index 511f89921..11e4e8496 100644
--- a/lib/krb5/ticket.c
+++ b/lib/krb5/ticket.c
@@ -850,11 +850,11 @@ _krb5_extract_ticket(krb5_context context,
 	tmp_time = rep->enc_part.authtime;
 
     if (creds->times.starttime == 0
-	&& labs(tmp_time - sec_now) > context->max_skew) {
+	&& krb5_time_abs(tmp_time, sec_now) > context->max_skew) {
 	ret = KRB5KRB_AP_ERR_SKEW;
 	krb5_set_error_message (context, ret,
 				N_("time skew (%ld) larger than max (%ld)", ""),
-			       labs(tmp_time - sec_now),
+			       krb5_time_abs(tmp_time, sec_now),
 			       (long)context->max_skew);
 	goto out;
     }