diff --git a/ocaml/reader.ml b/ocaml/reader.ml
index 7456cf8e1c..fa009e255a 100644
--- a/ocaml/reader.ml
+++ b/ocaml/reader.ml
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ let read_atom token =
     | _ ->
     match token.[0] with
       | '0'..'9' -> T.Int (int_of_string token)
+      | '-' -> (match String.length token with
+                  | 1 -> Types.symbol token
+                  | _ -> (match token.[1] with
+                            | '0'..'9' -> T.Int (int_of_string token)
+                            | _ -> Types.symbol token))
       | '"' -> T.String (gsub (Str.regexp "\\\\.")
                               (function
                                 | "\\n" -> "\n"
diff --git a/tests/step1_read_print.mal b/tests/step1_read_print.mal
index 06e05ed4d2..5a3bcef684 100644
--- a/tests/step1_read_print.mal
+++ b/tests/step1_read_print.mal
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ false
 ;=>7
   7   
 ;=>7
+-123
+;=>-123
 
 
 ;; Testing read of symbols
@@ -57,6 +59,8 @@ abc-def
 ;=>(* 1 2)
 (** 1 2)
 ;=>(** 1 2)
+(* -3 6)
+;=>(* -3 6)
 
 ;; Test commas as whitespace
 (1 2, 3,,,,),,
diff --git a/tests/step2_eval.mal b/tests/step2_eval.mal
index e97591020e..572d976ac9 100644
--- a/tests/step2_eval.mal
+++ b/tests/step2_eval.mal
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 (/ (- (+ 515 (* 222 311)) 302) 27)
 ;=>2565
 
+(* -3 6)
+;=>-18
+
 (abc 1 2 3)
 ; .*\'abc\' not found.*