diff --git a/Lib/test/test_types.py b/Lib/test/test_types.py
index f0bdfde..83a01aa 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_types.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_types.py
@@ -233,6 +233,9 @@
 try: buffer('asdf', -1)
 except ValueError: pass
 else: raise TestFailed, "buffer('asdf', -1) should raise ValueError"
+cmp(buffer("abc"), buffer("def")) # used to raise a warning: tp_compare didn't return -1, 0, or 1
+
+cmp(buffer('abc'), buffer('def'))
 
 try: buffer(None)
 except TypeError: pass
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 04549b9..24b1645 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 Core and builtins
 -----------------
 
+- Bug #1536786: buffer comparison could emit a RuntimeWarning.
+
 - Bug #1535165: fixed a segfault in input() and raw_input() when
   sys.stdin is closed.
 
diff --git a/Objects/bufferobject.c b/Objects/bufferobject.c
index 588f7e2..5f3c7a9 100644
--- a/Objects/bufferobject.c
+++ b/Objects/bufferobject.c
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@
 	if (min_len > 0) {
 		cmp = memcmp(p1, p2, min_len);
 		if (cmp != 0)
-			return cmp;
+			return cmp < 0 ? -1 : 1;
 	}
 	return (len_self < len_other) ? -1 : (len_self > len_other) ? 1 : 0;
 }