diff --git a/mats/ieee.ms b/mats/ieee.ms
index b85a6f4ec7..829ed57117 100644
--- a/mats/ieee.ms
+++ b/mats/ieee.ms
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@
   (equal? (number->string 1.1665795231290236e-302) "1.1665795231290236e-302")
  ; fp printing algorithm always rounds up on ties
   (equal? (number->string 3.6954879760742188e-6) "3.6954879760742188e-6")
-  (equal? (number->string 5.629499534213123e14) "5.629499534213123e+14")
+  (equal? (number->string 5.629499534213123e14) "562949953421312.3")
  )
 
 (mat string->number
diff --git a/s/print.ss b/s/print.ss
index 09758ee691..3e6c216f1d 100644
--- a/s/print.ss
+++ b/s/print.ss
@@ -1058,7 +1058,15 @@ floating point returns with (1 0 -1 ...).
                    (if (fx< s 0)
                        (write-char #\- p)
                        (when force-sign (write-char #\+ p)))
-                   (if (or (fx> r 10) (fx< -4 e 10))
+                   (if (or (fx> r 10) (cond
+                                        [(fx< e -4) #f]
+                                        [(fx< e 14) #t]
+                                        [else
+                                         (let ([digits (let loop ([ls ls] [digits 0])
+                                                         (if (fx< (car ls) 0)
+                                                             digits
+                                                             (loop (cdr ls) (fx+ digits 1))))])
+                                           (fx< (fx- e digits) 3))]))
                        (free-format e ls p)
                        (free-format-exponential e ls r p))))
               (cond