diff --git a/modules/system/system.install b/modules/system/system.install
index c6b55878ea5..f8739d2d078 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/modules/system/system.install
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ function system_install() {
         expire int NOT NULL default '0',
         created int NOT NULL default '0',
         headers text,
-        serialized int(1) NOT NULL default '0',
+        serialized smallint NOT NULL default '0',
         PRIMARY KEY (cid)
       )");
       db_query("CREATE TABLE {cache_filter} (
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ function system_install() {
         expire int NOT NULL default '0',
         created int NOT NULL default '0',
         headers text,
-        serialized int(1) NOT NULL default '0',
+        serialized smallint NOT NULL default '0',
         PRIMARY KEY (cid)
       )");
       db_query("CREATE TABLE {cache_page} (
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ function system_install() {
         expire int NOT NULL default '0',
         created int NOT NULL default '0',
         headers text,
-        serialized int(1) NOT NULL default '0',
+        serialized smallint NOT NULL default '0',
         PRIMARY KEY (cid)
       )");
       db_query("CREATE INDEX {cache}_expire_idx ON {cache} (expire)");
@@ -3848,9 +3848,9 @@ function system_update_6012() {
 
   switch ($GLOBALS['db_type']) {
     case 'pgsql':
-      db_add_column($ret, 'cache', 'serialized', 'int(1)', array('default' => "'0'", 'not null' => TRUE));
-      db_add_column($ret, 'cache_filter', 'serialized', 'int(1)', array('default' => "'0'", 'not null' => TRUE));
-      db_add_column($ret, 'cache_page', 'serialized', 'int(1)', array('default' => "'0'", 'not null' => TRUE));
+      db_add_column($ret, 'cache', 'serialized', 'smallint', array('default' => "'0'", 'not null' => TRUE));
+      db_add_column($ret, 'cache_filter', 'serialized', 'smallint', array('default' => "'0'", 'not null' => TRUE));
+      db_add_column($ret, 'cache_page', 'serialized', 'smallint', array('default' => "'0'", 'not null' => TRUE));
       break;
     case 'mysql':
     case 'mysqli':