diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index bd676fa3..9948b8b4 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -1718,11 +1718,6 @@ sexp sexp_expt_op (sexp ctx, sexp self, sexp_sint_t n, sexp x, sexp e) {
       res = sexp_make_flonum(ctx, pow(10.0, 1e100));   /* +inf.0 */
   } else if (sexp_bignump(x)) {
     res = sexp_bignum_expt(ctx, x, e);
-  } else if (sexp_fixnump(x)) {
-      sexp_gc_preserve1(ctx, tmp);
-      tmp = sexp_fixnum_to_bignum(ctx, x);
-      res = sexp_bignum_expt(ctx, tmp, e);
-      sexp_gc_release1(ctx);
   } else {
 #endif
   if (sexp_fixnump(x))
@@ -1754,7 +1749,7 @@ sexp sexp_expt_op (sexp ctx, sexp self, sexp_sint_t n, sexp x, sexp e) {
   if ((f*1000.0 > SEXP_MAX_FIXNUM) || (f*1000.0 < SEXP_MIN_FIXNUM)
       || (! sexp_fixnump(x)) || (! sexp_fixnump(e)) || (e1 < 0.0)) {
 #if SEXP_USE_BIGNUMS
-    if (sexp_fixnump(x) && sexp_fixnump(e) && (e1 >= 0.0)) {
+    if (sexp_fixnump(x) && sexp_fixnump(e)) {
       sexp_gc_preserve1(ctx, tmp);
       tmp = sexp_fixnum_to_bignum(ctx, x);
       res = sexp_bignum_expt(ctx, tmp, e);
diff --git a/lib/chibi/numeric-test.sld b/lib/chibi/numeric-test.sld
index c329be29..eba066ec 100644
--- a/lib/chibi/numeric-test.sld
+++ b/lib/chibi/numeric-test.sld
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
       (test 3 (expt 3 1))
       (test 1/3 (expt 3 -1))
       (test 1/300000000000000000000 (expt 300000000000000000000 -1))
+      (test 16384.0 (expt 2 14.0))
 
       (test '(536870912 536870913 536870911 -536870912 -536870911 -536870913)
           (integer-neighborhoods (expt 2 29)))