diff --git a/tycho/cc/tycho.h b/tycho/cc/tycho.h
index 3621e11..7c18f15 100644
--- a/tycho/cc/tycho.h
+++ b/tycho/cc/tycho.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ enum class ProjectType
    Map,
 };
 
+using byte = std::uint8_t;
+
 // Interfaces ----------------------------------------------------------------|
 
 class ProjectModel
@@ -182,9 +184,12 @@ void dbgPrint([[maybe_unused]] char const *fmt, [[maybe_unused]] VA &&...va)
 #define dbgPrintFunc() dbgPrint("%s", __func__)
 
 constexpr
-std::uint32_t fourCC(std::byte a, std::byte b, std::byte c, std::byte d)
+std::uint32_t fourCC(byte a, byte b, byte c, byte d)
 {
-   return (a << 24) | (b << 16) | (c << 8) | d;
+   return (static_cast<std::uint32_t>(a) << 24) |
+          (static_cast<std::uint32_t>(b) << 16) |
+          (static_cast<std::uint32_t>(c) <<  8) |
+           static_cast<std::uint32_t>(d);
 }
 
 extern "C" {