diff --git a/llvmlite/ir/instructions.py b/llvmlite/ir/instructions.py
index 7e82ee032..54fc92e30 100644
--- a/llvmlite/ir/instructions.py
+++ b/llvmlite/ir/instructions.py
@@ -494,7 +494,13 @@ def __init__(self, parent, ptr, indices, inbounds, name):
         typ = ptr.type
         lasttyp = None
         lastaddrspace = 0
+        indices_new = []
         for i in indices:
+            if isinstance(i, int):
+                bits = max(i.bit_length(), 32)
+                i_type = types.IntType(bits)
+                i = i_type(i)
+            indices_new.append(i)
             lasttyp, typ = typ, typ.gep(i)
             # inherit the addrspace from the last seen pointer
             if isinstance(lasttyp, types.PointerType):
@@ -507,9 +513,9 @@ def __init__(self, parent, ptr, indices, inbounds, name):
             typ = typ.as_pointer(lastaddrspace)
 
         super(GEPInstr, self).__init__(parent, typ, "getelementptr",
-                                       [ptr] + list(indices), name=name)
+                                       [ptr] + indices_new, name=name)
         self.pointer = ptr
-        self.indices = indices
+        self.indices = indices_new
         self.inbounds = inbounds
 
     def descr(self, buf):
diff --git a/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py b/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py
index e97e528ac..769143be4 100644
--- a/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py
+++ b/llvmlite/tests/test_ir.py
@@ -839,15 +839,16 @@ def test_mem_ops(self):
     def test_gep(self):
         block = self.block(name='my_block')
         builder = ir.IRBuilder(block)
+        elem_type = ir.LiteralStructType([int32, int32])
         a, b = builder.function.args[:2]
-        c = builder.alloca(ir.PointerType(int32), name='c')
-        d = builder.gep(c, [ir.Constant(int32, 5), a], name='d')
+        c = builder.alloca(ir.PointerType(elem_type), name='c')
+        d = builder.gep(c, [ir.Constant(int32, 5), a, 1], name='d')
         self.assertEqual(d.type, ir.PointerType(int32))
         self.check_block(block, """\
             my_block:
-                %"c" = alloca i32*
-                %"d" = getelementptr i32*, i32** %"c", i32 5, i32 %".1"
-            """)
+                %"c" = alloca {i32, i32}*
+                %"d" = getelementptr {i32, i32}*, {i32, i32}** %"c", i32 5, i32 %".1", i32 1
+            """)  # noqa E501
         # XXX test with more complex types
 
     def test_gep_castinstr(self):