diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index 52d0a469..ae17ecec 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -1210,7 +1210,7 @@ static sexp sexp_expt_op (sexp ctx sexp_api_params(self, n), sexp x, sexp e) {
   else
     return sexp_type_exception(ctx, self, SEXP_FIXNUM, e);
   f = pow(x1, e1);
-  if ((f > SEXP_MAX_FIXNUM) || (f < SEXP_MIN_FIXNUM)
+  if ((f*1000.0 > SEXP_MAX_FIXNUM) || (f*1000.0 < SEXP_MIN_FIXNUM)
 #if SEXP_USE_FLONUMS
       || (! sexp_fixnump(x)) || (! sexp_fixnump(e))
 #endif
diff --git a/opt/bignum.c b/opt/bignum.c
index 1f7e45d6..77619d2e 100644
--- a/opt/bignum.c
+++ b/opt/bignum.c
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ sexp sexp_bignum_expt (sexp ctx, sexp a, sexp b) {
     if (e & 1)
       res = sexp_bignum_mul(ctx, NULL, res, acc);
   sexp_gc_release2(ctx);
-  return res;
+  return sexp_bignum_normalize(res);
 }
 
 /****************** generic arithmetic ************************/