diff --git a/src/chain.h b/src/chain.h
--- a/src/chain.h
+++ b/src/chain.h
@@ -95,10 +95,10 @@
     SERIALIZE_METHODS(CDiskBlockIndex, obj) {
         int _nVersion = s.GetVersion();
         if (!(s.GetType() & SER_GETHASH)) {
-            READWRITE(VARINT(_nVersion, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+            READWRITE(VARINT_MODE(_nVersion, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
         }
 
-        READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nHeight, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+        READWRITE(VARINT_MODE(obj.nHeight, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
         READWRITE(obj.nStatus);
         READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nTx));
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
         }
 
         if (obj.nStatus.hasData() || obj.nStatus.hasUndo()) {
-            READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nFile, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+            READWRITE(VARINT_MODE(obj.nFile, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
         }
         if (obj.nStatus.hasData()) {
             READWRITE(VARINT(obj.nDataPos));
diff --git a/src/flatfile.h b/src/flatfile.h
--- a/src/flatfile.h
+++ b/src/flatfile.h
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
     template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
     inline void SerializationOp(Stream &s, Operation ser_action) {
-        READWRITE(VARINT(nFile, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+        READWRITE(VARINT_MODE(nFile, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
         READWRITE(VARINT(nPos));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/node/coinstats.cpp b/src/node/coinstats.cpp
--- a/src/node/coinstats.cpp
+++ b/src/node/coinstats.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
     for (const auto &output : outputs) {
         ss << VARINT(output.first + 1);
         ss << output.second.GetTxOut().scriptPubKey;
-        ss << VARINT(output.second.GetTxOut().nValue / SATOSHI,
-                     VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+        ss << VARINT_MODE(output.second.GetTxOut().nValue / SATOSHI,
+                          VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
         stats.nTransactionOutputs++;
         stats.nTotalAmount += output.second.GetTxOut().nValue;
         stats.nBogoSize +=
diff --git a/src/serialize.h b/src/serialize.h
--- a/src/serialize.h
+++ b/src/serialize.h
@@ -608,14 +608,15 @@
     return Wrapper<Formatter, T &>(t);
 }
 
-#define VARINT(obj, ...) Using<VarIntFormatter<__VA_ARGS__>>(obj)
+#define VARINT_MODE(obj, mode) Using<VarIntFormatter<mode>>(obj)
+#define VARINT(obj) Using<VarIntFormatter<VarIntMode::DEFAULT>>(obj)
 #define COMPACTSIZE(obj) CCompactSize(REF(obj))
 #define LIMITED_STRING(obj, n) LimitedString<n>(REF(obj))
 
 /**
  * Serialization wrapper class for integers in VarInt format.
  */
-template <VarIntMode Mode = VarIntMode::DEFAULT> struct VarIntFormatter {
+template <VarIntMode Mode> struct VarIntFormatter {
     template <typename Stream, typename I> void Ser(Stream &s, I v) {
         WriteVarInt<Stream, Mode, typename std::remove_cv<I>::type>(s, v);
     }
diff --git a/src/test/serialize_tests.cpp b/src/test/serialize_tests.cpp
--- a/src/test/serialize_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/serialize_tests.cpp
@@ -187,8 +187,9 @@
     CDataStream ss(SER_DISK, 0);
     CDataStream::size_type size = 0;
     for (int i = 0; i < 100000; i++) {
-        ss << VARINT(i, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
-        size += ::GetSerializeSize(VARINT(i, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+        ss << VARINT_MODE(i, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+        size +=
+            ::GetSerializeSize(VARINT_MODE(i, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
         BOOST_CHECK(size == ss.size());
     }
 
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@
     // decode
     for (int i = 0; i < 100000; i++) {
         int j = -1;
-        ss >> VARINT(j, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+        ss >> VARINT_MODE(j, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
         BOOST_CHECK_MESSAGE(i == j, "decoded:" << j << " expected:" << i);
     }
 
@@ -214,37 +215,37 @@
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(varints_bitpatterns) {
     CDataStream ss(SER_DISK, 0);
-    ss << VARINT(0, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE(0, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "00");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT(0x7f, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE(0x7f, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "7f");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT((int8_t)0x7f, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE((int8_t)0x7f, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "7f");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT(0x80, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE(0x80, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "8000");
     ss.clear();
     ss << VARINT((uint8_t)0x80);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "8000");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT(0x1234, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE(0x1234, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "a334");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT((int16_t)0x1234, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE((int16_t)0x1234, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "a334");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT(0xffff, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE(0xffff, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "82fe7f");
     ss.clear();
     ss << VARINT((uint16_t)0xffff);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "82fe7f");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT(0x123456, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE(0x123456, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "c7e756");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT((int32_t)0x123456, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE((int32_t)0x123456, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "c7e756");
     ss.clear();
     ss << VARINT(0x80123456U);
@@ -256,7 +257,7 @@
     ss << VARINT(0xffffffff);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "8efefefe7f");
     ss.clear();
-    ss << VARINT(0x7fffffffffffffffLL, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
+    ss << VARINT_MODE(0x7fffffffffffffffLL, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED);
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(HexStr(ss), "fefefefefefefefe7f");
     ss.clear();
     ss << VARINT(0xffffffffffffffffULL);
diff --git a/src/txdb.cpp b/src/txdb.cpp
--- a/src/txdb.cpp
+++ b/src/txdb.cpp
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@
             }
         }
         // coinbase height
-        ::Unserialize(s, VARINT(nHeight, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
+        ::Unserialize(s, VARINT_MODE(nHeight, VarIntMode::NONNEGATIVE_SIGNED));
     }
 };
 } // namespace