diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index c6c6752d16..b2000d5b09 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -774,11 +774,14 @@ void c_assign(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn, assign_kind_t assign_kind) {
 }
 
 // stuff for lambda and comprehensions and generators
-void close_over_variables_etc(compiler_t *comp, scope_t *this_scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params) {
+void close_over_variables_etc(compiler_t *comp, scope_t *this_scope, int n_pos_defaults, int n_kw_defaults) {
+    assert(n_pos_defaults >= 0);
+    assert(n_kw_defaults >= 0);
+
 #if !MICROPY_EMIT_CPYTHON
     // in Micro Python we put the default params into a tuple using the bytecode
-    if (n_default_params) {
-        EMIT_ARG(build_tuple, n_default_params);
+    if (n_pos_defaults) {
+        EMIT_ARG(build_tuple, n_pos_defaults);
     }
 #endif
 
@@ -807,10 +810,10 @@ void close_over_variables_etc(compiler_t *comp, scope_t *this_scope, int n_dict_
 
     // make the function/closure
     if (nfree == 0) {
-        EMIT_ARG(make_function, this_scope, n_dict_params, n_default_params);
+        EMIT_ARG(make_function, this_scope, n_pos_defaults, n_kw_defaults);
     } else {
         EMIT_ARG(build_tuple, nfree);
-        EMIT_ARG(make_closure, this_scope, n_dict_params, n_default_params);
+        EMIT_ARG(make_closure, this_scope, n_pos_defaults, n_kw_defaults);
     }
 }
 
@@ -921,7 +924,7 @@ qstr compile_funcdef_helper(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_struct_t *pns, uint
     scope_t *fscope = (scope_t*)pns->nodes[4];
 
     // make the function
-    close_over_variables_etc(comp, fscope, comp->param_pass_num_dict_params, comp->param_pass_num_default_params);
+    close_over_variables_etc(comp, fscope, comp->param_pass_num_default_params, comp->param_pass_num_dict_params);
 
     // restore variables
     comp->have_bare_star = old_have_bare_star;
diff --git a/py/emit.h b/py/emit.h
index 26672ab684..0d95b699e2 100644
--- a/py/emit.h
+++ b/py/emit.h
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ typedef struct _emit_method_table_t {
     void (*build_slice)(emit_t *emit, int n_args);
     void (*unpack_sequence)(emit_t *emit, int n_args);
     void (*unpack_ex)(emit_t *emit, int n_left, int n_right);
-    void (*make_function)(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params);
-    void (*make_closure)(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params);
+    void (*make_function)(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults);
+    void (*make_closure)(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults);
     void (*call_function)(emit_t *emit, int n_positional, int n_keyword, bool have_star_arg, bool have_dbl_star_arg);
     void (*call_method)(emit_t *emit, int n_positional, int n_keyword, bool have_star_arg, bool have_dbl_star_arg);
     void (*return_value)(emit_t *emit);
diff --git a/py/emitbc.c b/py/emitbc.c
index 0db1aaad88..a149582c0d 100644
--- a/py/emitbc.c
+++ b/py/emitbc.c
@@ -726,9 +726,9 @@ STATIC void emit_bc_unpack_ex(emit_t *emit, int n_left, int n_right) {
     emit_write_byte_code_byte_uint(emit, MP_BC_UNPACK_EX, n_left | (n_right << 8));
 }
 
-STATIC void emit_bc_make_function(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params) {
-    assert(n_dict_params == 0);
-    if (n_default_params == 0) {
+STATIC void emit_bc_make_function(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults) {
+    assert(n_kw_defaults == 0);
+    if (n_pos_defaults == 0) {
         emit_bc_pre(emit, 1);
         emit_write_byte_code_byte_uint(emit, MP_BC_MAKE_FUNCTION, scope->unique_code_id);
     } else {
@@ -737,9 +737,9 @@ STATIC void emit_bc_make_function(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_param
     }
 }
 
-STATIC void emit_bc_make_closure(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params) {
-    assert(n_dict_params == 0);
-    if (n_default_params == 0) {
+STATIC void emit_bc_make_closure(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults) {
+    assert(n_kw_defaults == 0);
+    if (n_pos_defaults == 0) {
         emit_bc_pre(emit, 0);
         emit_write_byte_code_byte_uint(emit, MP_BC_MAKE_CLOSURE, scope->unique_code_id);
     } else {
diff --git a/py/emitcpy.c b/py/emitcpy.c
index aa6bad9d65..4f5a96f2e4 100644
--- a/py/emitcpy.c
+++ b/py/emitcpy.c
@@ -759,19 +759,19 @@ STATIC void load_cpy_const_code_and_name(emit_t *emit, qstr qstr) {
     }
 }
 
-STATIC void emit_cpy_make_function(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params) {
+STATIC void emit_cpy_make_function(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults) {
     load_cpy_const_code_and_name(emit, scope->simple_name);
-    emit_pre(emit, -1 - n_default_params - 2 * n_dict_params, 3);
+    emit_pre(emit, -1 - n_pos_defaults - 2 * n_kw_defaults, 3);
     if (emit->pass == PASS_3) {
-        printf("MAKE_FUNCTION %d\n", (n_dict_params << 8) | n_default_params);
+        printf("MAKE_FUNCTION %d\n", (n_kw_defaults << 8) | n_pos_defaults);
     }
 }
 
-STATIC void emit_cpy_make_closure(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params) {
+STATIC void emit_cpy_make_closure(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults) {
     load_cpy_const_code_and_name(emit, scope->simple_name);
-    emit_pre(emit, -2 - n_default_params - 2 * n_dict_params, 3);
+    emit_pre(emit, -2 - n_pos_defaults - 2 * n_kw_defaults, 3);
     if (emit->pass == PASS_3) {
-        printf("MAKE_CLOSURE %d\n", (n_dict_params << 8) | n_default_params);
+        printf("MAKE_CLOSURE %d\n", (n_kw_defaults << 8) | n_pos_defaults);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/py/emitnative.c b/py/emitnative.c
index 5e61c45b5c..73851120ad 100644
--- a/py/emitnative.c
+++ b/py/emitnative.c
@@ -1142,15 +1142,15 @@ STATIC void emit_native_unpack_ex(emit_t *emit, int n_left, int n_right) {
     assert(0);
 }
 
-STATIC void emit_native_make_function(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params) {
+STATIC void emit_native_make_function(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults) {
     // call runtime, with type info for args, or don't support dict/default params, or only support Python objects for them
-    assert(n_default_params == 0 && n_dict_params == 0);
+    assert(n_pos_defaults == 0 && n_kw_defaults == 0);
     emit_native_pre(emit);
     emit_call_with_imm_arg(emit, MP_F_MAKE_FUNCTION_FROM_ID, mp_make_function_from_id, scope->unique_code_id, REG_ARG_1);
     emit_post_push_reg(emit, VTYPE_PYOBJ, REG_RET);
 }
 
-STATIC void emit_native_make_closure(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, int n_dict_params, int n_default_params) {
+STATIC void emit_native_make_closure(emit_t *emit, scope_t *scope, uint n_pos_defaults, uint n_kw_defaults) {
     assert(0);
 }