diff --git a/src/bigdecimal128.c b/src/bigdecimal128.c
index 4e500c5..59b5bee 100644
--- a/src/bigdecimal128.c
+++ b/src/bigdecimal128.c
@@ -192,12 +192,9 @@ static buint_bool compare_(const BigDecimal128 *a, const BigDecimal128 *b, buint
  // at this point ltz(a)==ltz(b) is sure.
 
  // check #2: order of magnitude
- BigUInt128 av = a->val;
- BigUInt128 bv = b->val;
- if (altz) {
-  bigint128_negate_assign(&av);
-  bigint128_negate_assign(&bv);
- }
+ BigUInt128 av = bigint128_abs(&a->val, NULL);
+ BigUInt128 bv = bigint128_abs(&b->val, NULL);
+
  UInt ooma_lo = oom_lb_(a->prec, &av);
  UInt ooma_hi = oom_ub_(a->prec, &av);
  UInt oomb_lo = oom_lb_(b->prec, &bv);
@@ -237,16 +234,11 @@ static inline buint_bool addsub_safe_(BigDecimal128 *dest, const BigDecimal128 *
   fun[!add](&dest->val, &a->val, &b->val, &carry);
   dest->prec = a->prec;
  } else {
-  BigDecimal128 av = *a;
-  BigDecimal128 bv = *b;
-  buint_bool altz = bigint128_ltz(&a->val);
-  buint_bool bltz = bigint128_ltz(&b->val);
-  if (altz) {
-   bigint128_negate_assign(&av.val);
-  }
-  if (bltz) {
-   bigint128_negate_assign(&bv.val);
-  }
+  buint_bool altz;
+  buint_bool bltz;
+  BigDecimal128 av = {bigint128_abs(&a->val, &altz),a->prec};
+  BigDecimal128 bv = {bigint128_abs(&b->val, &bltz),b->prec};
+
   retv = gen_common_hiprec_safe_(&av.prec, &bv.prec, &av.val, &bv.val);
   fun[!add != (altz != bltz)](&dest->val, &av.val, &bv.val, &carry);
   if (altz) {
@@ -289,14 +281,14 @@ BigDecimal128 bigdecimal128_ctor_prec(const BigDecimal128 *a, UInt prec) {
 }
 
 buint_bool bigdecimal128_prec_safe(BigDecimal128 *dest, const BigDecimal128 *a, UInt prec) {
- *dest = *a;
- if (bigint128_ltz(&a->val)) {
-  bigint128_negate_assign(&dest->val);
-  buint_bool retv = tune_prec_(&dest->val, &dest->prec, prec, NULL);
+ buint_bool altz;
+ dest->val = bigint128_abs(&a->val, &altz);
+ dest->prec = a->prec;
+ buint_bool retv = tune_prec_(&dest->val, &dest->prec, prec, NULL);
+ if (altz) {
   bigint128_negate_assign(&dest->val);
-  return retv;
  }
- return tune_prec_(&dest->val, &dest->prec, prec, NULL);
+ return retv;
 }
 
 BigDecimal128 bigdecimal128_add(const BigDecimal128 *a, const BigDecimal128 *b) {
diff --git a/src/biguint128.c b/src/biguint128.c
index 5409eff..6e73434 100644
--- a/src/biguint128.c
+++ b/src/biguint128.c
@@ -574,6 +574,25 @@ BigUInt128 bigint128_negate(const BigUInt128 *a) {
  return retv;
 }
 
+BigUInt128 bigint128_abs(const BigUInt128 *a, buint_bool *result_inv) {
+ buint_bool inv = bigint128_ltz(a);
+ if (result_inv != NULL) {
+  *result_inv = inv;
+ }
+ return inv ? bigint128_negate(a) : *a;
+}
+
+BigUInt128 *bigint128_abs_assign(BigUInt128 *a, buint_bool *result_inv) {
+ buint_bool inv = bigint128_ltz(a);
+ if (result_inv != NULL) {
+  *result_inv = inv;
+ }
+ if (inv) {
+  bigint128_negate_assign(a);
+ }
+ return a;
+}
+
 // END SUB   //
 ///////////////
 
@@ -855,17 +874,9 @@ BigUIntPair128 biguint128_div(const BigUInt128 *a, const BigUInt128 *b) {
 }
 
 BigUIntPair128 bigint128_div(const BigUInt128 *a, const BigUInt128 *b) {
+ buint_bool neg[2];
  // work with copies
- BigUInt128 ab[] = {biguint128_ctor_copy(a), biguint128_ctor_copy(b)};
- // check signs
- buint_bool neg[] = {is_bigint_negative_(a), is_bigint_negative_(b)};
- // convert
- for (unsigned int i = 0U; i<2; ++i) {
-  if (neg[i]) {
-   biguint128_dec(&ab[i]);
-   biguint128_not_assign(&ab[i]);
-  }
- }
+ BigUInt128 ab[] = {bigint128_abs(a, &neg[0]), bigint128_abs(b, &neg[1])};
 
  // calling the wrapped function
  BigUIntPair128 retv = biguint128_div(&ab[0], &ab[1]);
diff --git a/src/biguint128.h b/src/biguint128.h
index 3ff273f..3b11bce 100644
--- a/src/biguint128.h
+++ b/src/biguint128.h
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ void biguint128_sbc_replace(BigUInt128 *dest, const BigUInt128 *a, const BigUInt
  */
 BigUInt128 bigint128_negate(const BigUInt128 *a);
 BigUInt128 *bigint128_negate_assign(BigUInt128 *a);
+BigUInt128 bigint128_abs(const BigUInt128 *a, buint_bool *result_inv);
+BigUInt128 *bigint128_abs_assign(BigUInt128 *a, buint_bool *result_inv);
 
 /**
  @brief Sub-assignment of UInt to biguint.
diff --git a/tests/biguint128_eq_test.c b/tests/biguint128_eq_test.c
index 8a760b0..e57b14a 100644
--- a/tests/biguint128_eq_test.c
+++ b/tests/biguint128_eq_test.c
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ CStr samplex[][SAMPLEX_W]= {
  {STR("1"), STR("1"), STR("0"), STR("0"), STR("1")}
 };
 
+#define SAMPLEY_W 3U
+// a, b, lt, ilt, eq
+CStr sampley[][SAMPLEY_W]= {
+ {STR("0"), STR("0"), STR("0")},
+ {STR("1"), STR("1"), STR("0")},
+ {STR("-1"), STR("1"), STR("1")},
+ {STR("-0"), STR("0"), STR("0")}
+};
+
 #define SAMPLEZ_W 3U
 // a, ltz, eqz
 CStr samplez[][SAMPLEZ_W]={
@@ -34,6 +43,48 @@ CStr samplez[][SAMPLEZ_W]={
 };
 const unsigned int samplez_len = ARRAYSIZE(samplez);
 
+bool test_abs() {
+ bool pass = true;
+ for (unsigned int i=0; i<ARRAYSIZE(sampley); ++i) {
+  unsigned int idx[]={0,1,2};
+  BigUInt128 ti[SAMPLEY_W];
+  read_more_cstr_biguint128(ti, &sampley[i][0], idx, SAMPLEY_W, FMT_SDEC);
+  buint_bool exp_inv = (ti[2].dat[0]==1);
+  buint_bool res_inv0;
+  BigUInt128 arg1 = ti[0];
+  buint_bool res_inv1;
+  BigUInt128 arg2 = ti[0];
+
+  BigUInt128 res0 = bigint128_abs(&ti[0], &res_inv0);
+  BigUInt128 *res1 = bigint128_abs_assign(&arg1, &res_inv1);
+  BigUInt128 *res2 = bigint128_abs_assign(&arg2, NULL);
+
+  if (!biguint128_eq(&res0, &ti[1])) {
+   fprintf(stderr, "abs(x) result mismatch\n");
+   pass = false;
+  }
+  if (!!exp_inv != !!res_inv0) {
+   fprintf(stderr, "abs(x) result_inv mismatch\n");
+   pass = false;
+  }
+
+  if (!biguint128_eq(res1, &ti[1]) || res1 != &arg1) {
+   fprintf(stderr, "abs_assign(x) result mismatch\n");
+   pass = false;
+  }
+  if (!!exp_inv != !!res_inv1) {
+   fprintf(stderr, "abs_assign(x) result_inv mismatch\n");
+   pass = false;
+  }
+
+  if (!biguint128_eq(res2, &ti[1]) || res2 != &arg2) {
+   fprintf(stderr, "abs_assign(x) result mismatch\n");
+   pass = false;
+  }
+ }
+ return pass;
+}
+
 int main() {
  unsigned int lt_params[] = {0, 1, 2};
  unsigned int ilt_params[] = {0, 1, 3};
@@ -59,5 +110,7 @@ int main() {
  assert(test_genfun(&samplez[0][0], SAMPLEZ_W, samplez_len, FMT_SDEC, eqz_params, XUREL0V(biguint128_eqzv), "eqzv", NULL) == 0);
 #endif
 
+ assert(test_abs());
+
  return 0;
 }