diff --git a/lib/srfi/38.scm b/lib/srfi/38.scm
index 82f3d145..98638006 100644
--- a/lib/srfi/38.scm
+++ b/lib/srfi/38.scm
@@ -145,15 +145,18 @@
       (let ((in (if (pair? o) (car o) (current-input-port)))
             (shared '()))
         (define (read-label res)
-          (let ((c (char-downcase (peek-char in))))
-            (if (if (char-numeric? c) #t (memv c '(#\a #\b #\c #\d #\e)))
-                (read-label (cons (read-char in) res))
-                (list->string (reverse res)))))
+          (let ((c (peek-char in)))
+            (if (and (not (eof-object? c))
+                     (or (char-numeric? c)
+                         (memv (char-downcase c) '(#\a #\b #\c #\d #\e #\f))))
+              (read-label (cons (read-char in) res))
+              (list->string (reverse res)))))
         (define (read-number base)
           (let* ((str (read-label '()))
-                 (n (string->number str base)))
-            (if (or (not n) (not (memv (peek-char in) delimiters)))
-                (error "read error: invalid number syntax" str (peek-char in))
+                 (n (string->number str base))
+                 (c (peek-char in)))
+            (if (or (not n) (not (or (eof-object? c) (memv c delimiters))))
+                (error "read error: invalid number syntax" str c)
                 n)))
         (define (read-float-tail in) ;; called only after a leading period
           (let lp ((res 0.0) (k 0.1))
diff --git a/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm b/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm
index b7f8f48e..10a3c294 100644
--- a/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm
+++ b/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm
@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@
            (vector-set! x 2 x)
            x))
 
+(test 255 (read-from-string "#xff"))
+(test 99 (read-from-string "#d99"))
+(test 63 (read-from-string "#o77"))
+(test 3 (read-from-string "#b11"))
+
 (cond-expand
  (chicken
   (test-io "(#0=\"abc\" #0# #0#)"