diff --git a/include/cxxopts.hpp b/include/cxxopts.hpp
index 995b893..e91987d 100644
--- a/include/cxxopts.hpp
+++ b/include/cxxopts.hpp
@@ -564,21 +564,20 @@ namespace cxxopts
     } // namespace detail
 
     template <typename R, typename T>
-    R
-    checked_negate(T&& t, const std::string&, std::true_type)
+    void
+    checked_negate(R& r, T&& t, const std::string&, std::true_type)
     {
       // if we got to here, then `t` is a positive number that fits into
       // `R`. So to avoid MSVC C4146, we first cast it to `R`.
       // See https://github.com/jarro2783/cxxopts/issues/62 for more details.
-      return static_cast<R>(-static_cast<R>(t-1)-1);
+      r = static_cast<R>(-static_cast<R>(t-1)-1);
     }
 
     template <typename R, typename T>
-    T
-    checked_negate(T&& t, const std::string& text, std::false_type)
+    void
+    checked_negate(R&, T&&, const std::string& text, std::false_type)
     {
       throw_or_mimic<argument_incorrect_type>(text);
-      return t;
     }
 
     template <typename T>
@@ -643,9 +642,7 @@ namespace cxxopts
 
       if (negative)
       {
-        value = checked_negate<T>(result,
-          text,
-          std::integral_constant<bool, is_signed>());
+        checked_negate<T>(value, result, text, std::integral_constant<bool, is_signed>());
       }
       else
       {