diff --git a/src/console.c b/src/console.c
index 6d273f620..67d995f98 100644
--- a/src/console.c
+++ b/src/console.c
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ static INT32 con_curlines;  // vid lines currently used by console
 
        INT32 con_clipviewtop; // (useless)
 
-static INT32 con_hudlines;        // number of console heads up message lines
-static INT32 con_hudtime[MAXHUDLINES];      // remaining time of display for hud msg lines
+static UINT8  con_hudlines;             // number of console heads up message lines
+static UINT32 con_hudtime[MAXHUDLINES]; // remaining time of display for hud msg lines
 
        INT32 con_clearlines;      // top screen lines to refresh when view reduced
        boolean con_hudupdate;   // when messages scroll, we need a backgrnd refresh
@@ -126,10 +126,13 @@ static void CONS_backcolor_Change(void);
 static char con_buffer[CON_BUFFERSIZE];
 
 // how many seconds the hud messages lasts on the screen
-static consvar_t cons_msgtimeout = CVAR_INIT ("con_hudtime", "5", CV_SAVE, CV_Unsigned, NULL);
+// CV_Unsigned can overflow when multiplied by TICRATE later, so let's use a 3-year limit instead
+static CV_PossibleValue_t hudtime_cons_t[] = {{0, "MIN"}, {99999999, "MAX"}, {0, NULL}};
+static consvar_t cons_hudtime = CVAR_INIT ("con_hudtime", "5", CV_SAVE, hudtime_cons_t, NULL);
 
 // number of lines displayed on the HUD
-static consvar_t cons_hudlines = CVAR_INIT ("con_hudlines", "5", CV_CALL|CV_SAVE, CV_Unsigned, CONS_hudlines_Change);
+static CV_PossibleValue_t hudlines_cons_t[] = {{0, "MIN"}, {MAXHUDLINES, "MAX"}, {0, NULL}};
+static consvar_t cons_hudlines = CVAR_INIT ("con_hudlines", "5", CV_CALL|CV_SAVE, hudlines_cons_t, CONS_hudlines_Change);
 
 // number of lines console move per frame
 // (con_speed needs a limit, apparently)
@@ -181,11 +184,6 @@ static void CONS_hudlines_Change(void)
 	for (i = 0; i < con_hudlines; i++)
 		con_hudtime[i] = 0;
 
-	if (cons_hudlines.value < 1)
-		cons_hudlines.value = 1;
-	else if (cons_hudlines.value > MAXHUDLINES)
-		cons_hudlines.value = MAXHUDLINES;
-
 	con_hudlines = cons_hudlines.value;
 
 	Unlock_state();
@@ -477,7 +475,7 @@ void CON_Init(void)
 
 		Unlock_state();
 
-		CV_RegisterVar(&cons_msgtimeout);
+		CV_RegisterVar(&cons_hudtime);
 		CV_RegisterVar(&cons_hudlines);
 		CV_RegisterVar(&cons_speed);
 		CV_RegisterVar(&cons_height);
@@ -792,9 +790,8 @@ void CON_Ticker(void)
 	// make overlay messages disappear after a while
 	for (i = 0; i < con_hudlines; i++)
 	{
-		con_hudtime[i]--;
-		if (con_hudtime[i] < 0)
-			con_hudtime[i] = 0;
+		if (con_hudtime[i])
+			con_hudtime[i]--;
 	}
 
 	Unlock_state();
@@ -1343,7 +1340,8 @@ boolean CON_Responder(event_t *ev)
 static void CON_Linefeed(void)
 {
 	// set time for heads up messages
-	con_hudtime[con_cy%con_hudlines] = cons_msgtimeout.value*TICRATE;
+	if (con_hudlines)
+		con_hudtime[con_cy%con_hudlines] = cons_hudtime.value*TICRATE;
 
 	con_cy++;
 	con_cx = 0;
@@ -1699,7 +1697,7 @@ static void CON_DrawHudlines(void)
 	INT32 charwidth = 8 * con_scalefactor;
 	INT32 charheight = 8 * con_scalefactor;
 
-	if (con_hudlines <= 0)
+	if (!con_hudlines)
 		return;
 
 	if (chat_on && OLDCHAT)
@@ -1707,7 +1705,7 @@ static void CON_DrawHudlines(void)
 	else
 		y = 0;
 
-	for (i = con_cy - con_hudlines+1; i <= con_cy; i++)
+	for (i = con_cy - con_hudlines; i <= con_cy; i++)
 	{
 		size_t c;
 		INT32 x;