diff --git a/xarray/coding/variables.py b/xarray/coding/variables.py
index 83112628dbb..b036fd5dfb6 100644
--- a/xarray/coding/variables.py
+++ b/xarray/coding/variables.py
@@ -426,7 +426,10 @@ def encode(self, variable: Variable, name: T_Name = None):
         if fill_value is not None and has_unsigned:
             pop_to(encoding, attrs, "_Unsigned")
             # XXX: Is this actually needed? Doesn't the backend handle this?
-            data = duck_array_ops.astype(duck_array_ops.around(data), dtype)
+            signed_dtype = np.dtype(f"i{dtype.itemsize}")
+            data = duck_array_ops.view(
+                duck_array_ops.astype(duck_array_ops.around(data), signed_dtype), dtype
+            )
             attrs["_FillValue"] = fill_value
 
         return Variable(dims, data, attrs, encoding, fastpath=True)
diff --git a/xarray/core/duck_array_ops.py b/xarray/core/duck_array_ops.py
index 7e7333fd8ea..be842b661c3 100644
--- a/xarray/core/duck_array_ops.py
+++ b/xarray/core/duck_array_ops.py
@@ -236,6 +236,16 @@ def astype(data, dtype, **kwargs):
     return data.astype(dtype, **kwargs)
 
 
+def view(data, *args, **kwargs):
+    if hasattr(data, "__array_namespace__"):
+        xp = get_array_namespace(data)
+        if xp == np:
+            # numpy currently doesn't have a view:
+            return data.view(*args, **kwargs)
+        return xp.view(data, *args, **kwargs)
+    return data.view(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
 def asarray(data, xp=np, dtype=None):
     converted = data if is_duck_array(data) else xp.asarray(data)