diff --git a/code/index/index-journal/java/nu/marginalia/index/journal/IndexJournalPage.java b/code/index/index-journal/java/nu/marginalia/index/journal/IndexJournalPage.java
index 6f355f2e..8806fa61 100644
--- a/code/index/index-journal/java/nu/marginalia/index/journal/IndexJournalPage.java
+++ b/code/index/index-journal/java/nu/marginalia/index/journal/IndexJournalPage.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public record IndexJournalPage(Path baseDir, int page) {
         return size.forPage(page).open(table, baseDir);
     }
 
-    public LongColumnReader openTermCounts(SlopTable table) throws IOException {
+    public VarintColumnReader openTermCounts(SlopTable table) throws IOException {
         return termCounts.forPage(page).open(table, baseDir);
     }
 
diff --git a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumn.java b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumn.java
index 8d28f29c..9a8f08a9 100644
--- a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumn.java
+++ b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumn.java
@@ -75,18 +75,32 @@ public class VarintColumn {
             return columnDesc;
         }
 
-        public long get() throws IOException {
-            long value = 0;
+        public int get() throws IOException {
+            int value = 0;
             int shift = 0;
+            byte b;
 
-            while (true) {
-                long b = reader.getByte();
+            do {
+                b = reader.getByte();
                 value |= (b & 0x7F) << shift;
                 shift += 7;
-                if ((b & 0x80) == 0) {
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
+            } while ((b & 0x80) != 0);
+
+            position++;
+
+            return value;
+        }
+
+        public long getLong() throws IOException {
+            long value = 0;
+            int shift = 0;
+            byte b;
+
+            do {
+                b = reader.getByte();
+                value |= (long) (b & 0x7F) << shift;
+                shift += 7;
+            } while ((b & 0x80) != 0);
 
             position++;
 
diff --git a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumnReader.java b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumnReader.java
index fdb67be9..106bae86 100644
--- a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumnReader.java
+++ b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/dynamic/VarintColumnReader.java
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 package nu.marginalia.slop.column.dynamic;
 
-import nu.marginalia.slop.column.primitive.LongColumnReader;
+import nu.marginalia.slop.column.primitive.IntColumnReader;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
-public interface VarintColumnReader extends LongColumnReader {
+public interface VarintColumnReader extends IntColumnReader {
+
+    int get() throws IOException;
+    long getLong() throws IOException;
 
     @Override
     long position() throws IOException;