diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/schibsted/spt/data/jslt/impl/NodeUtils.java b/core/src/main/java/com/schibsted/spt/data/jslt/impl/NodeUtils.java
index e3b71496..00721179 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/schibsted/spt/data/jslt/impl/NodeUtils.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/schibsted/spt/data/jslt/impl/NodeUtils.java
@@ -182,6 +182,10 @@ else if (number.length() < 19)
       long decimalPart = Long.parseLong(number.substring(endInteger + 1, endDecimal));
       int digits = endDecimal - endInteger - 1;
 
+      // if intPart is negative we can't add a positive decimalPart to it
+      if (intPart < 0)
+        decimalPart = decimalPart * -1;
+
       value = (decimalPart / Math.pow(10, digits)) + intPart;
       pos = endDecimal;
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/resources/function-tests.json b/core/src/test/resources/function-tests.json
index 33d43d3a..2725cc07 100644
--- a/core/src/test/resources/function-tests.json
+++ b/core/src/test/resources/function-tests.json
@@ -782,6 +782,16 @@
       "input" : "{}",
       "output" : "124274772478237237823782728372873000000012347427427378238238283"
    },
+   {
+      "query" : "number(\"-1.4\")",
+      "input" : "{}",
+      "output" : "-1.4"
+   },
+   {
+      "query" : "number(\"-2.513\")",
+      "input" : "{}",
+      "output" : "-2.513"
+   },
    {
       "input" : "{}",
       "output" : "2",