diff --git a/WHATSNEW b/WHATSNEW
index d61779537..da0c8d1f0 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW
+++ b/WHATSNEW
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ Other changes:
    <ftp> and <get>.
    github pull requests #8 and #9
 
+ * The <tar> package can now deal with group and user ids bigger than
+   0x80000000.
+   https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/COMPRESS-314
+   https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/COMPRESS-315
+
 Changes from Ant 1.9.3 TO Ant 1.9.4
 ===================================
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarEntry.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarEntry.java
index dc9b64e02..4b1223772 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarEntry.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarEntry.java
@@ -119,10 +119,10 @@ public class TarEntry implements TarConstants {
     private int mode;
 
     /** The entry's user id. */
-    private int userId;
+    private long userId;
 
     /** The entry's group id. */
-    private int groupId;
+    private long groupId;
 
     /** The entry's size. */
     private long size;
@@ -422,9 +422,12 @@ public class TarEntry implements TarConstants {
      * Get this entry's user id.
      *
      * @return This entry's user id.
+     * @deprecated use #getLongUserId instead as user ids can be
+     * bigger than {@link Integer.MAX_INT}
      */
+    @Deprecated
     public int getUserId() {
-        return userId;
+        return (int) (userId & 0xffffffff);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -433,6 +436,26 @@ public class TarEntry implements TarConstants {
      * @param userId This entry's new user id.
      */
     public void setUserId(int userId) {
+        setUserId((long) userId);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get this entry's user id.
+     *
+     * @return This entry's user id.
+     * @since 1.9.5
+     */
+    public long getLongUserId() {
+        return userId;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set this entry's user id.
+     *
+     * @param userId This entry's new user id.
+     * @since 1.9.5
+     */
+    public void setUserId(long userId) {
         this.userId = userId;
     }
 
@@ -440,9 +463,12 @@ public class TarEntry implements TarConstants {
      * Get this entry's group id.
      *
      * @return This entry's group id.
+     * @deprecated use #getLongGroupId instead as group ids can be
+     * bigger than {@link Integer.MAX_INT}
      */
+    @Deprecated
     public int getGroupId() {
-        return groupId;
+        return (int) (groupId & 0xffffffff);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -451,6 +477,26 @@ public class TarEntry implements TarConstants {
      * @param groupId This entry's new group id.
      */
     public void setGroupId(int groupId) {
+        setGroupId((long) groupId);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get this entry's group id.
+     *
+     * @return This entry's group id.
+     * @since 1.9.5
+     */
+    public long getLongGroupId() {
+        return groupId;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set this entry's group id.
+     *
+     * @param groupId This entry's new group id.
+     * @since 1.9.5
+     */
+    public void setGroupId(long groupId) {
         this.groupId = groupId;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarInputStream.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarInputStream.java
index 651f206bd..57827a2cd 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarInputStream.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarInputStream.java
@@ -484,11 +484,11 @@ public class TarInputStream extends FilterInputStream {
             } else if ("linkpath".equals(key)){
                 currEntry.setLinkName(val);
             } else if ("gid".equals(key)){
-                currEntry.setGroupId(Integer.parseInt(val));
+                currEntry.setGroupId(Long.parseLong(val));
             } else if ("gname".equals(key)){
                 currEntry.setGroupName(val);
             } else if ("uid".equals(key)){
-                currEntry.setUserId(Integer.parseInt(val));
+                currEntry.setUserId(Long.parseLong(val));
             } else if ("uname".equals(key)){
                 currEntry.setUserName(val);
             } else if ("size".equals(key)){
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarOutputStream.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarOutputStream.java
index 81626340f..032f7254f 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarOutputStream.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/tar/TarOutputStream.java
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ public class TarOutputStream extends FilterOutputStream {
     /**
      * Set the long file mode.
      * This can be LONGFILE_ERROR(0), LONGFILE_TRUNCATE(1) or LONGFILE_GNU(2).
-     * This specifies the treatment of long file names (names >= TarConstants.NAMELEN).
+     * This specifies the treatment of long file names (names &gt;= TarConstants.NAMELEN).
      * Default is LONGFILE_ERROR.
      * @param longFileMode the mode to use
      */
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ public class TarOutputStream extends FilterOutputStream {
 
     private String stripTo7Bits(String name) {
         final int length = name.length();
-        StringBuffer result = new StringBuffer(length);
+        StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder(length);
         for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
             char stripped = (char) (name.charAt(i) & 0x7F);
             if (stripped != 0) { // would be read as Trailing null
@@ -538,12 +538,12 @@ public class TarOutputStream extends FilterOutputStream {
                                             TarEntry entry) {
         addPaxHeaderForBigNumber(paxHeaders, "size", entry.getSize(),
                                  TarConstants.MAXSIZE);
-        addPaxHeaderForBigNumber(paxHeaders, "gid", entry.getGroupId(),
+        addPaxHeaderForBigNumber(paxHeaders, "gid", entry.getLongGroupId(),
                                  TarConstants.MAXID);
         addPaxHeaderForBigNumber(paxHeaders, "mtime",
                                  entry.getModTime().getTime() / 1000,
                                  TarConstants.MAXSIZE);
-        addPaxHeaderForBigNumber(paxHeaders, "uid", entry.getUserId(),
+        addPaxHeaderForBigNumber(paxHeaders, "uid", entry.getLongUserId(),
                                  TarConstants.MAXID);
         // star extensions by J\u00f6rg Schilling
         addPaxHeaderForBigNumber(paxHeaders, "SCHILY.devmajor",
@@ -564,11 +564,11 @@ public class TarOutputStream extends FilterOutputStream {
 
     private void failForBigNumbers(TarEntry entry) {
         failForBigNumber("entry size", entry.getSize(), TarConstants.MAXSIZE);
-        failForBigNumber("group id", entry.getGroupId(), TarConstants.MAXID);
+        failForBigNumberWithPosixMessage("group id", entry.getLongGroupId(), TarConstants.MAXID);
         failForBigNumber("last modification time",
                          entry.getModTime().getTime() / 1000,
                          TarConstants.MAXSIZE);
-        failForBigNumber("user id", entry.getUserId(), TarConstants.MAXID);
+        failForBigNumber("user id", entry.getLongUserId(), TarConstants.MAXID);
         failForBigNumber("mode", entry.getMode(), TarConstants.MAXID);
         failForBigNumber("major device number", entry.getDevMajor(),
                          TarConstants.MAXID);
@@ -577,6 +577,14 @@ public class TarOutputStream extends FilterOutputStream {
     }
 
     private void failForBigNumber(String field, long value, long maxValue) {
+        failForBigNumber(field, value, maxValue, "");
+    }
+
+    private void failForBigNumberWithPosixMessage(String field, long value, long maxValue) {
+        failForBigNumber(field, value, maxValue, " Use STAR or POSIX extensions to overcome this limit");
+    }
+
+    private void failForBigNumber(String field, long value, long maxValue, String additionalMsg) {
         if (value < 0 || value > maxValue) {
             throw new RuntimeException(field + " '" + value
                                        + "' is too big ( > "