diff --git a/core/base/mtx_io.cpp b/core/base/mtx_io.cpp
index be338a602e4..7dada4e06a6 100644
--- a/core/base/mtx_io.cpp
+++ b/core/base/mtx_io.cpp
@@ -781,16 +781,16 @@ static constexpr uint64_t binary_format_magic()
     constexpr auto index_bit = is_int ? 'I' : 'L';
     constexpr auto value_bit =
         is_double ? 'D' : (is_float ? 'S' : (is_complex_double ? 'Z' : 'C'));
-    constexpr uint64 type_bits = index_bit * 256ull + value_bit;
+    constexpr uint64 shift = 256;
+    constexpr uint64 type_bits = index_bit * shift + value_bit;
     return 'G' +
-           256ull *
+           shift *
                ('I' +
-                256ull *
+                shift *
                     ('N' +
-                     256ull *
+                     shift *
                          ('K' +
-                          256ull *
-                              ('G' + 256ull * ('O' + 256ull * type_bits)))));
+                          shift * ('G' + shift * ('O' + shift * type_bits)))));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/core/test/base/mtx_io.cpp b/core/test/base/mtx_io.cpp
index 5c42225cdd2..57ab8d5d3ee 100644
--- a/core/test/base/mtx_io.cpp
+++ b/core/test/base/mtx_io.cpp
@@ -404,17 +404,17 @@ std::array<gko::uint64, 20> build_binary_complex_data()
     double neg_dbl_val = -2.5;
     std::memcpy(&int_val, &dbl_val, sizeof(double));
     std::memcpy(&neg_int_val, &neg_dbl_val, sizeof(double));
+    constexpr gko::uint64 shift = 256;
     std::array<gko::uint64, 20> data{
-        'G' + 256ull *
+        'G' + shift *
                   ('I' +
-                   256ull *
+                   shift *
                        ('N' +
-                        256ull *
+                        shift *
                             ('K' +
-                             256ull *
-                                 ('G' +
-                                  256ull *
-                                      ('O' + 256ull * ('Z' + 256ull * 'L')))))),
+                             shift * ('G' +
+                                      shift * ('O' +
+                                               shift * ('Z' + shift * 'L')))))),
         64,       // num_rows
         32,       // num_cols
         4,        // num_entries
@@ -446,17 +446,17 @@ std::array<gko::uint64, 16> build_binary_real_data()
     double neg_dbl_val = -2.5;
     std::memcpy(&int_val, &dbl_val, sizeof(double));
     std::memcpy(&neg_int_val, &neg_dbl_val, sizeof(double));
+    constexpr gko::uint64 shift = 256;
     std::array<gko::uint64, 16> data{
-        'G' + 256ull *
+        'G' + shift *
                   ('I' +
-                   256ull *
+                   shift *
                        ('N' +
-                        256ull *
+                        shift *
                             ('K' +
-                             256ull *
-                                 ('G' +
-                                  256ull *
-                                      ('O' + 256ull * ('D' + 256ull * 'L')))))),
+                             shift * ('G' +
+                                      shift * ('O' +
+                                               shift * ('D' + shift * 'L')))))),
         64,  // num_rows
         32,  // num_cols
         4,   // num_entries