diff --git a/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.c b/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.c
index 9a5f3fabe8d9..63230847568c 100644
--- a/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.c
+++ b/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.c
@@ -329,11 +329,13 @@ dwarf_decode_line_header  (sect_offset sect_off, bool is_dwz,
 	  return NULL;
 	}
     }
-  lh->header_length = read_offset (abfd, line_ptr, offset_size);
+
+  LONGEST header_length = read_offset (abfd, line_ptr, offset_size);
   line_ptr += offset_size;
-  lh->statement_program_start = line_ptr + lh->header_length;
+  lh->statement_program_start = line_ptr + header_length;
   lh->minimum_instruction_length = read_1_byte (abfd, line_ptr);
   line_ptr += 1;
+
   if (lh->version >= 4)
     {
       lh->maximum_ops_per_instruction = read_1_byte (abfd, line_ptr);
diff --git a/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.h b/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.h
index 25b9e7c20327..59b317d0d727 100644
--- a/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.h
+++ b/gdb/dwarf2/line-header.h
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ struct line_header
   unsigned offset_in_dwz : 1; /* Can't initialize bitfields in-class.  */
 
   unsigned short version {};
-  unsigned int header_length {};
   unsigned char minimum_instruction_length {};
   unsigned char maximum_ops_per_instruction {};
   unsigned char default_is_stmt {};