diff --git a/rust/src/zstd_cli.rs b/rust/src/zstd_cli.rs
index 8504051ac..41115cfcf 100644
--- a/rust/src/zstd_cli.rs
+++ b/rust/src/zstd_cli.rs
@@ -516,6 +516,14 @@ fn parse_i32(value: &str, name: &str) -> Result<i32, String> {
         .map_err(|_| format!("invalid {name}: {value:?}"))
 }
 
+fn parse_compression_level(value: &str) -> Result<i32, String> {
+    /* The C CLI reads short-form levels as U32 before storing them in its
+     * signed level field.  Preserve that conversion for values such as
+     * 4294967295, which represents -1 on the supported two's-complement
+     * targets and is a valid fast-compression level. */
+    Ok(parse_u32(value, "compression level")? as i32)
+}
+
 fn parse_worker_count(value: &str) -> Result<i32, String> {
     let workers = parse_i32(value, "thread count")?;
     if workers < 0 {
@@ -803,14 +811,14 @@ fn parse_long_option(
         }
         "--fast" => {
             let mut level = match attached {
-                Some(value) => parse_i32(value, "fast level")?,
+                Some(value) => parse_u32(value, "fast level")?,
                 None => 1,
             };
-            if level <= 0 {
+            if level == 0 {
                 return Err("fast level must be positive".to_owned());
             }
-            level = level.min(MAX_FAST_ACCELERATION);
-            cli.level = -level;
+            level = level.min(MAX_FAST_ACCELERATION as u32);
+            cli.level = -(level as i32);
             Ok(None)
         }
         "--long" => {
@@ -939,7 +947,7 @@ fn parse_short_options(
                 while digits_end < bytes.len() && bytes[digits_end].is_ascii_digit() {
                     digits_end += 1;
                 }
-                cli.level = parse_i32(&value[offset..digits_end], "compression level")?;
+                cli.level = parse_compression_level(&value[offset..digits_end])?;
                 offset = digits_end;
                 continue;
             }
@@ -1598,6 +1606,17 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(cli.display_level, 1);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn fast_levels_preserve_the_unsigned_32_bit_conversion() {
+        let cli = parse(&["zstd", "--fast", "-4294967295", "input"]);
+
+        assert_eq!(cli.level, -1);
+
+        let cli = parse(&["zstd", "--fast=4294967295", "input"]);
+
+        assert_eq!(cli.level, -MAX_FAST_ACCELERATION);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn short_option_equals_form_is_accepted() {
         let cli = parse(&["zstd", "-T=2", "-M=64M", "-B=1M", "input"]);