diff --git a/lib/srfi/38.scm b/lib/srfi/38.scm
index 5ed12de3..d75a3006 100644
--- a/lib/srfi/38.scm
+++ b/lib/srfi/38.scm
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@
                ((#\o) (read-char in) (read-number 8))
                ((#\b) (read-char in) (read-number 2))
                ((#\i) (read-char in) (exact->inexact (read-one)))
-               ((#\e) (read-char in) (inexact->exact (read-one)))
+               ((#\e) (string->number (read-name #\# in)))
                ((#\u #\v)
                 (if (eqv? #\v (peek-char in))
                     (read-char in))
diff --git a/sexp.c b/sexp.c
index 6f2bb6b9..a2c093be 100644
--- a/sexp.c
+++ b/sexp.c
@@ -2614,6 +2614,15 @@ sexp sexp_read_number (sexp ctx, sexp in, int base, int exactp) {
   sexp_gc_var2(res, den);
 
   c = sexp_read_char(ctx, in);
+  if (c == '#') {
+    switch ((c = sexp_tolower(sexp_read_char(ctx, in)))) {
+      case 'b': base = 2; break;   case 'o': base = 8; break;
+      case 'd': base = 10; break;  case 'x': base = 16; break;
+      case 'i': exactp = 0; break; case 'e': exactp = 1; break;
+      default: return sexp_read_error(ctx, "unexpected numeric # code", sexp_make_character(c), in);
+    }
+    c = sexp_read_char(ctx, in);
+  }
   if (c == '-') {
     negativep = 1;
     c = sexp_read_char(ctx, in);
diff --git a/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm b/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm
index cf5cee34..da0fe7b5 100644
--- a/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm
+++ b/tests/srfi-38-tests.scm
@@ -77,6 +77,11 @@
 (test 99 (read-from-string "#d99"))
 (test 63 (read-from-string "#o77"))
 (test 3 (read-from-string "#b11"))
+(test 5 (read-from-string "#e5.0"))
+(test 5.0 (read-from-string "#i5"))
+(test 15 (read-from-string "#e#xf"))
+(test 15.0 (read-from-string "#i#xf"))
+(test (expt 10 100) (read-from-string "#e1e100"))
 
 (cond-expand
  (chicken