diff --git a/benchmark/getri.c b/benchmark/getri.c
index 4c88912269..960cef2a0f 100644
--- a/benchmark/getri.c
+++ b/benchmark/getri.c
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 
   if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_TEST"))) btest=*p;
   
-  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=*p;
+  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=atoi(p);
 
   fprintf(stderr, "From : %3d  To : %3d Step = %3d\n", from, to, step);
 
diff --git a/benchmark/linpack.c b/benchmark/linpack.c
index 32ccb03865..b00834b595 100644
--- a/benchmark/linpack.c
+++ b/benchmark/linpack.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
   double time1, time2, timeg1,timeg2;
 
   char *p;
-  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=*p;
+  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=atoi(p);
   
   argc--;argv++;
 
diff --git a/benchmark/potrf.c b/benchmark/potrf.c
index 8808203a50..674d6149be 100644
--- a/benchmark/potrf.c
+++ b/benchmark/potrf.c
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
 
   if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_TEST"))) btest=*p;
 
-  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=*p;
+  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=atoi(p);
 
   fprintf(stderr, "From : %3d  To : %3d Step = %3d Uplo = %c\n", from, to, step,*uplo[uplos]);
 
diff --git a/benchmark/syr2.c b/benchmark/syr2.c
index 61d1036ea2..6976898f25 100644
--- a/benchmark/syr2.c
+++ b/benchmark/syr2.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]){
   int step =   1;
   int loops =  1;
 
-  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=*p;
+  if ((p = getenv("OPENBLAS_LOOPS"))) loops=atoi(p);
 
   double time1,timeg;