diff --git a/spec/std/big/big_decimal_spec.cr b/spec/std/big/big_decimal_spec.cr
index 3f4f11aca033..e783d2f5bb10 100644
--- a/spec/std/big/big_decimal_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/std/big/big_decimal_spec.cr
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 require "spec"
 require "big"
+require "../../support/string"
 
 describe BigDecimal do
   it "initializes from valid input" do
@@ -382,34 +383,45 @@ describe BigDecimal do
   end
 
   it "converts to string" do
-    BigDecimal.new.to_s.should eq "0"
-    BigDecimal.new(0).to_s.should eq "0"
-    BigDecimal.new(1).to_s.should eq "1"
-    BigDecimal.new(-1).to_s.should eq "-1"
-    BigDecimal.new("8.5").to_s.should eq "8.5"
-    BigDecimal.new("-0.35").to_s.should eq "-0.35"
-    BigDecimal.new("-.35").to_s.should eq "-0.35"
-    BigDecimal.new("0.01").to_s.should eq "0.01"
-    BigDecimal.new("-0.01").to_s.should eq "-0.01"
-    BigDecimal.new("0.00123").to_s.should eq "0.00123"
-    BigDecimal.new("-0.00123").to_s.should eq "-0.00123"
-    BigDecimal.new("1.0").to_s.should eq "1"
-    BigDecimal.new("-1.0").to_s.should eq "-1"
-    BigDecimal.new("1.000").to_s.should eq "1"
-    BigDecimal.new("-1.000").to_s.should eq "-1"
-    BigDecimal.new("1.0001").to_s.should eq "1.0001"
-    BigDecimal.new("-1.0001").to_s.should eq "-1.0001"
-
-    (BigDecimal.new(1).div(BigDecimal.new(3), 9)).to_s.should eq "0.333333333"
-    (BigDecimal.new(1000).div(BigDecimal.new(3000), 9)).to_s.should eq "0.333333333"
-    (BigDecimal.new(1).div(BigDecimal.new(3000), 9)).to_s.should eq "0.000333333"
-
-    (BigDecimal.new("112839719283").div(BigDecimal.new("3123779"), 9)).to_s.should eq "36122.824080384"
-    (BigDecimal.new("112839719283").div(BigDecimal.new("3123779"), 14)).to_s.should eq "36122.8240803846879"
-    (BigDecimal.new("-0.4098").div(BigDecimal.new("0.2229011193"), 20)).to_s.should eq "-1.83848336557007141059"
-
-    BigDecimal.new(1, 2).to_s.should eq "0.01"
-    BigDecimal.new(100, 4).to_s.should eq "0.01"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new.to_s, "0.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(0).to_s, "0.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1).to_s, "1.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(-1).to_s, "-1.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("8.5").to_s, "8.5"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-0.35").to_s, "-0.35"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-.35").to_s, "-0.35"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("0.01").to_s, "0.01"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-0.01").to_s, "-0.01"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("0.00123").to_s, "0.00123"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-0.00123").to_s, "-0.00123"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("1.0").to_s, "1.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-1.0").to_s, "-1.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("1.000").to_s, "1.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-1.000").to_s, "-1.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("1.0001").to_s, "1.0001"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-1.0001").to_s, "-1.0001"
+
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1).div(BigDecimal.new(3), 9).to_s, "0.333333333"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1000).div(BigDecimal.new(3000), 9).to_s, "0.333333333"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1).div(BigDecimal.new(3000), 9).to_s, "0.000333333"
+
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("112839719283").div(BigDecimal.new("3123779"), 9).to_s, "36122.824080384"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("112839719283").div(BigDecimal.new("3123779"), 14).to_s, "36122.8240803846879"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new("-0.4098").div(BigDecimal.new("0.2229011193"), 20).to_s, "-1.83848336557007141059"
+
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1, 2).to_s, "0.01"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(100, 4).to_s, "0.01"
+
+    assert_prints "12345678901234567".to_big_d.to_s, "1.2345678901234567e+16"
+    assert_prints "1234567890123456789".to_big_d.to_s, "1.234567890123456789e+18"
+
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1_000_000_000_000_000_i64, 0).to_s, "1.0e+15"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(100_000_000_000_000_i64, 0).to_s, "100000000000000.0"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1, 4).to_s, "0.0001"
+    assert_prints BigDecimal.new(1, 5).to_s, "1.0e-5"
+
+    assert_prints "1.23e45".to_big_d.to_s, "1.23e+45"
+    assert_prints "1e-234".to_big_d.to_s, "1.0e-234"
   end
 
   it "converts to other number types" do
@@ -781,6 +793,6 @@ describe BigDecimal do
   end
 
   describe "#inspect" do
-    it { "123".to_big_d.inspect.should eq("123") }
+    it { "123".to_big_d.inspect.should eq("123.0") }
   end
 end
diff --git a/src/big/big_decimal.cr b/src/big/big_decimal.cr
index 66945bcc6899..1cb44c0b1657 100644
--- a/src/big/big_decimal.cr
+++ b/src/big/big_decimal.cr
@@ -443,28 +443,62 @@ struct BigDecimal < Number
   def to_s(io : IO) : Nil
     factor_powers_of_ten
 
-    s = @value.to_s
-    if @scale == 0
-      io << s
-      return
+    cstr = LibGMP.get_str(nil, 10, @value)
+    length = LibC.strlen(cstr)
+    buffer = Slice.new(cstr, length)
+
+    # add negative sign
+    if buffer[0]? == 45 # '-'
+      io << '-'
+      buffer = buffer[1..]
+      length -= 1
     end
 
-    if @scale >= s.size && @value >= 0
-      io << "0."
-      (@scale - s.size).times do
-        io << '0'
-      end
-      io << s
-    elsif @scale >= s.size && @value < 0
-      io << "-0.0"
-      (@scale - s.size).times do
-        io << '0'
-      end
-      io << s[1..-1]
-    elsif (offset = s.size - @scale) == 1 && @value < 0
-      io << "-0." << s[offset..-1]
-    else
-      io << s[0...offset] << '.' << s[offset..-1]
+    decimal_exponent = length.to_i - @scale
+    point = decimal_exponent
+    exp = point
+    exp_mode = point > 15 || point < -3
+    point = 1 if exp_mode
+
+    # add leading zero
+    io << '0' if point < 1
+
+    # add integer part digits
+    if decimal_exponent > 0 && !exp_mode
+      # whole number but not big enough to be exp form
+      io.write_string buffer[0, {decimal_exponent, length}.min]
+      buffer = buffer[{decimal_exponent, length}.min...]
+      (point - length).times { io << '0' }
+    elsif point > 0
+      io.write_string buffer[0, point]
+      buffer = buffer[point...]
+    end
+
+    io << '.'
+
+    # add leading zeros after point
+    if point < 0
+      (-point).times { io << '0' }
+    end
+
+    # remove trailing zeroes
+    while buffer.size > 1 && buffer.last === '0'
+      buffer = buffer[0..-2]
+    end
+
+    # add fractional part digits
+    io.write_string buffer
+
+    # print trailing 0 if whole number or exp notation of power of ten
+    if (decimal_exponent >= length && !exp_mode) || (exp != point && length == 1)
+      io << '0'
+    end
+
+    # exp notation
+    if exp != point
+      io << 'e'
+      io << '+' if exp > 0
+      (exp - 1).to_s(io)
     end
   end