diff --git a/scheme/base.sld b/scheme/base.sld
index 3a9155c7..5e0be0c8 100644
--- a/scheme/base.sld
+++ b/scheme/base.sld
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@
     "(void *data, int argc, closure _, object k, object num)"
     " Cyc_check_num(data, num);
       if (obj_is_int(num)) {
-        return_closcall1(data, k, obj_int2obj( abs( obj_obj2int(num))));
+        return_closcall1(data, k, obj_int2obj( labs( obj_obj2int(num))));
       } else if (is_object_type(num) && type_of(num) == bignum_tag){
         alloc_bignum(data, bn);
         mp_abs(&bignum_value(num), &bignum_value(bn));